


Don't Say 'Dirty', It's Too Easy

by crittab



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Comedy, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:01:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 146,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29302341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crittab/pseuds/crittab
Summary: A series of moments inspired by some of Luke and Lorelai's best romantic and innuendo-laced conversations. Funny, smutty and sweet – something for everyone!
Relationships: Luke Danes & Lorelai Gilmore, Luke Danes/Lorelai Gilmore
Comments: 18
Kudos: 32





	1. Wet n' Wild

**Author's Note:**

> This fic includes 33 chapters, each one telling a story within the canon of the show. They are all complete and I’m giving each one a fresh edit before posting. Rest assured, they’ll all be up in short order. This story is available in full on ff.net, but I’m posting here in chronological order.
> 
> Please enjoy, and comments are always welcome.

**Wet n' Wild**

**Inspired by Episode 2.15 - Lost and Found**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _I could answer the door wrapped in cellophane but unless I was wearing a Yankees cap, he wouldn't even notice.  
 **LUKE:** Geez.  
 **LORELAI:** Oh, don't be embarrassed Snuffy, I'm just teasing. It'd be a Mets cap._

**Description: One of Lorelai's dirty jokes prompts Luke to entertain a very pleasing fantasy.**

* * *

Luke stepped under the warm spray of the shower, letting out a long breath, along with a cough from the dust that seemed to hang in the air all over his apartment. It had been a hell of a day. Somehow, he went from looking at apartments, to buying a building, to attacking his own walls with a sledgehammer.

The place he had seen with Lorelai earlier would have been a good option for him and Jess, but the thought of having Taylor as a landlord was off-putting enough to put the kibosh on the whole damn thing. He felt like he was losing his mind when he signed on the dotted line and bought the building that housed the diner, his apartment and the space next door. It wasn't until he talked to Lorelai that he realized there was potential here for something good.

It was days like these when he realized knowing Lorelai was both a blessing and a curse. She had a way of making him do things he would never otherwise consider doing. He wouldn't have put in the paperwork for that apartment without her influence, and he certainly wouldn't have bought the building without her words running circles in his head. That woman was dangerous.

_Can't live above the diner forever, Luke._

_Can't have a single bed, Luke._

_You won't be alone forever, Luke._

God, she was annoying sometimes. But, he had to begrudgingly admit that she was right. The life he had created in his apartment above his diner was one that was not accessible. Hell, you couldn't even knock on his front door when the place wasn't open. He really was a hermit, and until Jess came along, that lifestyle had suited him just fine. It was only the total lack of privacy that had him looking for an alternative, and even then, he wasn't happy about it.

He didn't want to live anywhere else. This place was his connection to his father. It was important to him to come home at night and see "William’s Hardware" on the door, his dad's photos on the wall, trophies belonging to both of them on every shelf and ledge. Maybe this place didn't speak to the average woman, but it represented everything that was important to him.

To hell with what Lorelai said. If a woman didn't want the Luke Danes who lived in his dad's old office, he didn't want to be with her anyhow.

He sighed and took the shampoo bottle from the ledge and squeezed a generous amount into his palm, working it between his hands before lathering up. He closed his eyes and let the spray shower suds down his shoulders and chest, leaving him slick and soapy as his mind travelled back to their tour through the apartment. He felt his face flush in remembrance of the way she had teased him, the tales she had spun about their life together as husband and wife.

He didn't know why he let her play those kinds of games with him. It wasn't the first time and he knew it wouldn't be the last. Sometimes he thought it was just because he was the nearest male prospect that she used him in these ways. Other times he wondered if there was more to it, some latent desire she had to explore that kind of relationship with him. That seemed farfetched, though, as she kept him at a distance whenever she wasn't making up a long and detailed history of their romantic relationship.

These episodes had started just a few years after they met. Their friendship was growing deeper, Luke was starting to make minor repairs on her house and she was coming into the diner on a daily basis for her coffee fix and to chat up the proprietor; or, at least, he liked to think he factored into her regular visits.

The first time it happened, he had been taken off guard, but he played along willingly. There was a guy in the diner who was putting the moves on Lorelai _hard_ , and didn't seem interested in taking no for an answer.

**XXXX**

"Thanks, but I'm really not interested," Lorelai told the blond-haired putz.

"How do you know you're not interested? You don't even know me." He took a step closer to where Lorelai sat on her stool. She didn't shrink away – never one to let a guy get the best of her.

"You mind not breathing down my neck?" she attempted again.

"Not until you agree to go on a date with me." Luke sighed and took a step around the counter, preparing to get involved. He wasn't going to let this shit go down in his diner.

"Hey, Buddy, she said no," he said firmly, stepping into their space. The guy eyed him, unfazed by his stature.

"Mind your own business, man," the guy shot back.

"This is my business," Luke countered.

"How's that?" His tone was laced with disrespect, which didn't do anything to endear him to Luke. He was about to follow-up, when Lorelai cut in.

"Because he's my boyfriend," she told the guy, cutting in before fists could start swinging. Luke looked at her confusedly for half a second before snapping into the role. He stepped in close behind her and put his hand on the counter in possessive show.

"Your boyfriend?" the guy asked, skeptically.

"Mhm! Going on, what, seven years, Babe?" she asked, leaning back against Luke's chest.

"Just about," he confirmed. The guy looked between them, but seemed to come to the conclusion that she was unavailable. He turned to Luke, looking chagrinned.

"Sorry man, I didn't know. She didn't say anything."

"She told you ‘no’, repeatedly. You should be apologizing to her, not me," Luke spat back. The guy spared a glance at Lorelai, then back at Luke, before sputtering a weak "sorry" and making for the exit. Luke held his position until he felt Lorelai sigh and relax against him.

"Sorry about that," she muttered back to him. Luke backed away and rounded the counter again, going to stand across from her at a safer distance.

"No problem."

"Thanks for going along with it," she said, a grateful smile playing on her lips.

"Anytime."

**XXXX**

Luke hadn't realized when he made the offer that she would take it so seriously. The first few times it happened, it was a similar story. Some jackass wouldn't take no for an answer, and Luke was nearby. He never initiated it, but he allowed himself to sink into the role when she presented the opportunity to be of assistance.

Not that he minded playing make believe with Lorelai. Over the years they had perfected their story. They had been together close to a decade. They had twins at home – a girl, and a boy. They had a dog named Charlie and a cat named Felix, even though Luke was allergic to cats. The story was well worn after all of these years of friendship, and each time they used it, it seemed Lorelai added a new element, something to catch Luke off guard.

Once it was Luke's love child from a previous relationship that Lorelai had adopted as her own.

Another time it was Luke's love for painting, and all of the walls in their home were covered in murals – not to mention the nude portraits that hung in their master bedroom.

Her personal favourite, the one she dusted off most often, was Luke's original career as an ultimate fighter, only leaving the circuit when he was deemed _too dangerous_ to continue in the sport.

Despite their ever-expanding fantasy, Luke really didn't mind letting Lorelai involve him in her efforts to dispatch men with haste. If anything, he appreciated seeing them slither away, knowing none of them would be getting her number, or anything else from her, and enjoying that he had something to do with that. It was a bit of a sick hobby of his to help crush the dreams of little men who thought they stood a chance with the beautiful Lorelai Gilmore.

But today was the first time Lorelai had played out their fantasy on someone who wasn't trying to put the moves on her, and that bothered him. That's not what he signed up for when he made that offer all those years ago.

Not to mention, the story she spun today was wildly different from the PG tales they'd told over the years. Gone were the kids and the pets and the murals. Here was a desirous wife and her oblivious husband who didn't appreciate what was standing right in front of him.

He didn't know why he played along. He really didn't. It was like muscle memory kicking in, not allowing him to simply say the words, _"This woman is on a day pass from the local insane asylum, pay her no mind."_

Luke sighed and leaned back against the cool tile wall of the shower, letting the water hit him from the waist down as he recalled the insanity from that afternoon.

**XXXX**

"Now, I went over the square footage and the details of the lease with your husband this morning. Did he fill you in?" Mary asked Lorelai.

Luke attempted to cut in, "What? Oh no, we're…"

"No, no, he didn't, but you know how men are. The minute that ball game comes on, all the realities of life just go right out the window!" Lorelai interrupted. She wrapped her arm through Luke's and pushed her body up against his.

"Don't I know it!" Mary exclaimed gamely.

"I mean, I could answer the door wrapped in cellophane but unless I was wearing a Yankees cap, he wouldn't even notice," Lorelai continued on.

"Geez," Luke grumbled. Lorelai leaned into him closer.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed Snuffy, I'm just teasing." She turned back to Mary, a wicked grin on her lips. "It'd be a Mets cap."

Luke finally cut in. "Hey Mary, could you possibly leave me and little missus alone for just a minute?" he asked with a nervous laugh. Mary smiled widely back at the pair.

"Why, of course."

"I promise we won't do anything dirty." Lorelai ran a finger down Luke's neck, which he attempted to bat away.

"Oh please, if my husband and I looked anything like the two of you, we'd never get dressed," Mary joked. Luke rolled his eyes, while Lorelai giggled and squeezed his arm.

"Oh, you are bad!"

**XXXX**

Luke felt himself stir and looked down, finding his penis standing erect as it was battered by the shower spray, which only served to turn him on further.

"Oh for the love of…" he mumbled under his breath. He dropped his head back against the tile and closed his eyes, breathing deeply to try and tamp down his arousal, but he was assaulted by images of Lorelai standing naked in his bathroom wearing nothing but a Mets cap. "Not fair. So not fair."

 _"Come on, Snuffy. You know you want me."_ Her voice took on the same cloying tone it had during the tour. Luke shook his head trying to dispel the urge to reach down and take hold of his erection, only to hear her voice again.

 _"You want me to come in there with you?"_ she asked. _"I can leave the cap on."_

_Luke sighed and opened his eyes, watching as the dark shower curtain pulled away and Lorelai stepped in. Her hair was curled and flowing over her shoulders, while the Mets cap was turned backward atop her head. She didn't seem to mind the spray that battered the heavy fabric as she came to stand in front of him, naked, streams of water running down her dewy skin._

"Ung, Lorelai," Luke said in a breath. He grasped himself and pumped a few times, feeling instant relief as his need throbbed in his hand.

_"Let me," her voice came again. Luke watched as she got to her knees and took him in her hand, beginning to pump him vigorously. She watched him, her eyes seemingly alight with laughter as her tongue slipped from between her lips and spun a circle around the sensitive head of his cock, causing his breathing to speed up._

_She teased him like this for several moments, pumping him with her hand and slipping her wet tongue around the smooth skin of his head, building his desire but never pushing him over the edge._

_"What do you want me to do?" she asked._

_"Ung, suck me, Lorelai, please," he moaned aloud. His request was met with a broad smile, the kind that could make his heart stop. She took one last lick at his head before taking him fully into her mouth._

Luke moaned and tightened his grip on his cock, pumping it faster as the images played behind his eyelids.

_Lorelai kept her eyes on Luke's as she worked her mouth over his hardness, taking him deeper and deeper with each stroke. She finally reached her maximum capacity, the tip of his cock hitting the back of her throat as she held herself down on him, swallowing around him, causing the most incredible sensations to shoot through his body. She sucked as she released him, and then dove back in for more._

Luke's hips jerked into his hand of their own volition as he pumped and squeezed in time to the fantasy playing in his mind.

_Luke's hands went to the top of Lorelai's head, holding her steady on his cock as he began to thrust in and out of her mouth at a moderate pace, but the hat stood in the way between his fingers and her luscious hair, and he knew he needed to get rid of the barrier. He snagged it from her head and tossed it out of the tub, landing sopping wet on the floor as he dove his hands into her hair, grabbing it in handfuls and using it to guide her movements._

_Lorelai seemed unaffected by Luke taking control. She began playing with her breasts as he pulled her head in to meet each of his thrusts. He couldn't believe how good she was at this, how willing she was to let him manipulate her actions. She just continued to look up at him with those extraordinary blue eyes, moaning and sucking around him as he pleasured himself with her mouth._

"Fuck, Lorelai," Luke moaned aloud. He ran his palm over the head of his cock, before reclaiming his hold on it and reaching down with his other hand to pleasure his balls.

_Luke felt himself getting close – too close. And as much as he loved the idea of coming down the throat of this gorgeous, sexy, incredible woman before him, he couldn't let this end without burying himself deep inside of her. He needed to know what she felt like as she came around his cock._

_He pulled himself out of her mouth and helped her to her feet, before taking possession of her mouth in a deep and needing kiss. It was almost violent in the way he claimed her, his hands grasping her by the upper arms as their teeth gnashed and tongues fought for dominance, sliding from her mouth to his and back again._

_Luke pushed up off the wall and turned them around, pushing her back into it with the mass of his body. Lorelai landed against it with a sexy little grunt, and pushed her hips into his erection, seeking the friction they were both desperate for._

Luke moved away from the wall and turned around so the spray was hitting his back. With one hand pumping away furiously, he leaned forward to brace himself against the wall he had just vacated, dropping his head down and clasping his eyes tightly shut. His breathing was picking up, shocks of pleasure were coursing through him. He was getting close, he knew. But he needed to let this fantasy play out.

_Luke lifted Lorelai against the wall, holding her up with his arms under each of her knees, spreading her legs wide open as she waited, panting, for him to fill her completely. He took her in one hard thrust, bottoming out, feeling her walls contracting around him as she gasped and moaned at the most welcome intrusion._

_Luke pulled out, only to thrust back in the same way, and then again, and again, setting up a pace that wasn't frantic, but hit hard nonetheless._

_His name began to fall from Lorelai's lips as she gyrated on his cock, filling her in the most delicious way. Luke bit down on his lip to keep from crying out at the sensation of her body writhing against his, wet, wild and wanton._

_"Oh Luke. Yes Luke!" she cried as their hips met at the pinnacle of each stroke._

_"Fuck, Lorelai," Luke groaned, feeling himself coming to his peak, attempting to stave it off to see her come apart first._

_"Don't stop," Lorelai panted. "Oh god, don't stop."_

_Luke doubled his pace, pounding into her, her back making impact with the wall on each thrust. She began to shudder and shake around him, her walls tightening, her breaths coming out in shocked, desperate cries._

_"Yes, Luke. Yes, fuck," she cried, her whole body quaked around him as she came. Luke could feel nothing but overwhelming tightness as she went._

_Luke set Lorelai down and she fell to her knees before him. She took hold of his cock, barely containing his climax, and began to squeeze and pump him until he came with a force he hadn't experienced in far too long. His seed covered her chest, and continued to come in spurts until he was milked completely dry._

Luke huffed quick, shallow breaths as his hand moved furiously over his cock. The muscles in his abdomen clenched and then seized as his seed shot out of him in an orgasm so powerful, it nearly crossed the line to pain.

He pried his eyes open and blinked against the sudden intrusion of light. His hand still pumped his rapidly waning erection until it became too much to bear, and he let it slip from his fingers. He leaned forward and rested his head against his hand on the wall, trying to steady his breaths as he came down from his height.

The water began to cool against his back, an unsubtle reminder that he was just biding his time until he would have to return to his disaster of an apartment, his ungrateful nephew and his unfulfilling friendship with the woman who starred in his most lurid and erotic fantasies.

He sighed and turned the water off, pulling the curtain open and grabbing a towel, forcing his mind to return to real life. He and Lorelai may pretend to be more, sometimes, but that's all it was. Probably, that's all it would ever be. He would just have to be okay with that.


	2. Dream a Little Dream of Me

**Dream a Little Dream of Me**

**Inspired by Episode 3.01 – Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy-Days**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Just analyze my dream, please._

**_RORY:_ ** _Okay. Well, your dream was telling you that you are secretly in love with Luke and you wanna marry him and have his twins._

**Description:** **Lorelai's dreams of Luke get steamier as their waking relationship seems to subtly evolve.**

* * *

It wasn't that Lorelai had never dreamed about Luke. Sometimes she did, just like other characters from her life occasionally popped into her slumber to add flair to her unconscious world. Luke, like all of her close friends, made occasional appearances.

But things changed over the summer when they weren't speaking. Lorelai didn't want to admit it, but their fight after Jess and Rory's car accident had done some damage to her psyche. She didn't just miss her friend, she missed the man who said he would always be there for her, who she promised to always be there for. It bothered her immensely that it only took one bad moment for all of that to fall apart.

So during that period, when her mind was otherwise embattled from another false start with Christopher and Rory's absence, her subconscious wrapped itself around that which brought her comfort. It was at this time that Luke became a starring player in her dreams.

The dreams started out innocently enough: friendly chats at the diner, poking fun at town meetings, walking and talking, getting some much-needed advice and the occasional bear-hug.

All in all, the dreams were docile and left Lorelai feeling better than what her real life was providing, so she didn't think too hard about them. For years Luke had been her friend, and her dream world didn't care that they weren't on good terms in real life. He was a warm blanket when she needed one. That's all it was.

The first time she was alarmed by a Luke dream was when he played more than a friend. She found him in her kitchen; he talked to her stomach. They were married and having twins. That wasn't what she signed up for. Dream Luke was supposed to make things easier, not further complicate her thoughts.

She asked Rory to analyze her dream, as she had done countless times before.

"Your dream was telling you that you are secretly in love with Luke and you wanna marry him and have his twins," she surmised.

Lorelai huffed at the absolute ridiculousness of the analysis and tried to shake off the notion, but as easily as the words were spoken, they became embedded. Her dreams about Luke took a turn.

When she went back to sleep that night after hanging up with Rory, Dream Luke returned. She was heavily pregnant now. They snuggled on the couch, his hand on her stomach. He kissed her again. It was so comforting. The kisses were easy and habitual. The whole scene was the picture of domesticity, and when she woke, before she could decide to be bothered by it, she felt that sense of full-body warmth that she had come to associate with her dreams of Luke.

She and Luke reconciled just a few days later, but Dream Luke kept coming to visit.

Most scenes were pretty easy-going. Luke making dinner. Luke talking to her stomach. Luke debating about coffee. Sometimes she was pregnant, sometimes she wasn't. Sometimes they were married, sometimes they were just dating. Sometimes it was the big romantic moment when he confessed his feelings. Sometimes it was a dramatic moment when she confessed hers. In all cases, the action cut off before they could cross any significant boundaries.

That all changed when the Independence Inn caught fire.

When Lorelai told Luke about her dream, she hadn't really considered what it would mean to him to know that she dreamed about their life together as a couple. She was relieved that he didn't focus too hard on that aspect, choosing instead to nag her about her coffee consumption once again. She didn't mind; it was easier than answering the unspoken questions.

The ramp up to the Big One started that very night, when her dreams crossed the line from innocently romantic to overtly sexual.

**XXXX**

Lorelai and Luke were at her house – their house. They were laying in bed together, the lights were out but moonlight streamed in, casting a blue glow over the scene. Lorelai was snuggled under Luke's arm as they both stared up at the ceiling while they talked in low tones.

"Do you think we're ready?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes." He sounded so sure.

"How do you know?"

"I just feel it," he explained. He turned his head to see her face. "I love you, Lorelai. You're the only person I've ever wanted to do this with. It feels right, doesn't it?"

Lorelai smiled. "Of course it does. But isn't it too soon? We just got married."

"We just got married, but we've loved each other for a long time," he reasoned.

"Yeah,” she agreed.

"Besides, we're not getting any younger. I don't know about you, but I don't really want to be pushing 60 at my kid's high school graduation."

"Well, you got me there."

He waited a beat before asking the question that was really on his mind.

"Lorelai, do you want this?" She nodded. "Are you afraid?"

"A little," she admitted. "But also, excited."

A smile graced Luke's lips and Lorelai thought he looked so beautiful in that moment.

"We don't have to do this now," Luke told her. "But I want to start thinking about it, okay? Can we do that?"

"We can do it now," she posed.

"I want you to be sure."

She smiled. "I'm sure."

Luke chuckled lightly. "You weren't a second ago."

"I move fast, Luke. I run on Energizer batteries and straight caffeine."

"You don't have to tell me," he assured her. She smiled and turned toward him. He did the same, wrapping an arm over her waist.

"Promise me this is what you want," he pushed. Lorelai leaned in and kissed him gently, pulling away a moment too soon.

"This is what I want." Luke regarded her closely, looking for any hint that she was unsure. Finding none, he leaned in and kissed her again. Lorelai fell into it easily, losing herself in the pillowy softness of his lips that left her tingling with desire.

Even with her nerves bubbling beneath the surface, these moments of intimacy with Luke were something to fully invest in, because he always gave her all of him. He kissed her with his full body, he hugged her with a consuming force that left her at once feeling breathless, and safer than she ever had before. Luke's body, when it became one with hers, felt like home.

She sighed into his kiss and opened her mouth, inviting him in to soothe her and give her confidence that this was the right time for them. They loved each other fully. Their lives were settled. They were ready to grow their family, and she was ready to carry their child.

Once Lorelai's mouth opened to him, Luke's tongue swept in delicately, barely tracing the tip of hers before retreating and inviting her to follow. She did so willingly, angling her head into the kiss so she could take it even deeper.

Beneath the shoulders, Luke's arms had circled her and he had pulled her body flush with his. She could feel him hard for her in his sweatpants and she tingled in anticipation of what would come next.

Luke's hand travelled lower until he had one palm against her backside and used it to pull her hips into his so she could feel him more firmly. The next sound that escaped her was a moan, and she gripped him by the bicep to hold their bodies in place as their hips began to move in time to the tempo of their kisses.

Luke pushed her onto her back as his hand slipped up under her shirt. He pulled back and found her gaze, his eyes displaying the most tender warmth she felt had ever been bestowed upon her, and she melted into the bed as he caressed upward to her breasts beneath the thin cotton of her tee-shirt.

He opened his mouth to say something. She wondered what he could say with to make this moment even more special.

Then, he snored.

Loudly.

In surround sound.

She blinked up at him as his face faded away and then she was staring at the side table next to Luke's bed in his apartment. Her eyes were heavy with sleep as she looked around, deducing the din was coming not just from Luke on the couch, but Jess in the far corner of the apartment. She sandwiched her head between two pillows and tried to block out the noise, but it was too loud, and her body was still reacting heavily to the dream she'd been having. She tingled and she was so wet, she knew that she must have come close to climaxing in her sleep.

Betrayed by her body and her bunkmates, Lorelai pulled herself out of bed and trudged to the bathroom to clean up.

**XXXX**

There seemed to be a shift after that night, whether Luke was aware of it or not. Lorelai felt it when she offered the world's most uncomfortable turn-down service for Luke and Nicole at the inn. She felt it when he announced he and Nicole were going on a cruise. She most certainly felt it when Luke asked her if she thought he was being fair to Nicole, "considering everything."

She smiled and encouraged him like a good friend should, all the while Dream Lorelai was screaming at her to stop him.

The next steamy dream came a few nights into her trip to Europe with Rory. Luke was supposed to leave for his cruise that day, and although Lorelai wasn't sure if he had even decided to go, she couldn't get the thought of him and Nicole out of her head.

She tried all day to push it away. She and Rory were in Madrid. They were seeing incredible places and doing all of the things they had dreamed about for so long. The very last thing she wanted at this time was to be preoccupied by a guy – least of all a guy she wasn't even dating.

But there he was, in the back of her mind all damn day. She put on a good face for Rory, tried not to dwell, and was mostly successful.

It wasn't until they were back at the hostel for the night that her mind finally crash landed on the subject and wouldn't leave it alone.

She thought back to Rory's graduation. What had Luke meant by "everything"? Was he referring just to his obvious lack of passion for Nicole, or was there something else under those words; something he was skating around?

Maybe he noticed the shift in their relationship, too. Maybe he was testing the waters to see where she stood on the idea of _them_. Maybe he was waiting for her to ask him not to go. Maybe she should have.

But, she reasoned, Luke was a big boy, and if he wasn't sure about taking this trip, he had to make that decision on his own. The same would have to apply for any feelings he might or might not have for her. Luke could choose to be forthright, or he could choose to clam up like he did every time they walked that well-tread line between friends and something more.

She sighed and stared up at the bottom of the bed above her. Rory was sound asleep in the top bunk, while two other girls slept across from them. The beds were thinner than a standard twin and had more spring than one would expect from a three-inch mattress. The linens were starched within an inch of their life and crunched when you rolled around. That, combined with the sounds of her three roommates, was enough to keep her from getting a restful sleep.

But they had a big day ahead of them, and she couldn't let any of those distractions keep her from getting some rest. She closed her eyes and hoped to fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.

**XXXX**

Lorelai was against the wall before she had a chance to take in her surroundings. Luke's lips were attached to her neck in a way that was sure to leave a mark, but in her aroused state, she couldn't be bothered to care.

 _We should talk_.

He had said those words. She knew this, although she couldn't specifically remember the scene that led them here, to his apartment, where his lips were on her body in a way that made her think she had missed some pretty important context.

Luke pulled back, breathless, and looked at her. He was wearing his suit from Rory's graduation, and she was in the red dress she had selected just for that very event.

"You wanted to talk," Lorelai huffed out, attempting to catch her breath. Luke nodded and took a step back into his apartment.

"Sorry," he offered, weakly. He turned on an angle, inviting her further in. She stepped past him and went to the sofa, where she sat perched on the edge, waiting for him to follow. He came to stand a few feet away from her, but made no move to sit.

"Lorelai…" he attempted. She put her hand up to stop him.

"Before you say whatever it is you want to say, I have to know… what about Nicole?" she asked. Her lips still stung from the intensity of his kisses, and she needed to be reassured before they could go on.

"Nicole is gone." Lorelai's brow furrowed.

"But why?"

"You know why," he answered with restrained intensity.

A coil tightened in her gut as she considered the implications.

"She's gone?" she confirmed. Luke nodded. "Do you… I mean… are you okay with this?"

"It needed to happen."

"Why?" she asked again, more gently. If ever there was a time for honesty, this was it. She needed Luke to be clear with her.

He shifted a little, shoved his hands into his pockets as he seemed to consider his next words carefully. When he stilled, he straightened up a bit, puffed his chest out, a false bravado taking over to bolster him and protect him from the blowback.

When he spoke, he left no room for doubt.

"Because I'm in love with you."

Lorelai looked up at him, her jaw dropped open as she considered all that this could mean for them.

"You…"

"I love you, Lorelai," he repeated. "I should have told you a long time ago."

She brought her fingers to her lips, remembering the way he kissed her. Suddenly, she recalled the moments that brought them to his apartment.

_Lorelai entered the diner a little after eight. Luke was closing up, still looking handsome as ever in his suit and tie._

_He had called her and asked her to come. Told her it was important. Luke didn't often reach out to her in such a way, so she accepted that he probably had a good reason and came running._

_"Hey," she greeted as the door jingled closed behind her. Luke set down some plates on the counter and turned to her._

_"Hey."_

_"You okay? You sounded a little weird on the phone."_

_"I'm good, yeah. Thanks for coming."_

_"So what's up? Coffee emergency? Need someone to empty the pot?" she teased. Luke huffed a small laugh, but seemed standoffish. "Luke, what's going on?" she asked, more seriously._

_"We should talk," he said, seeming to brace himself for a negative reaction._

_"Okay? What about?"_

_He looked out over the bustling square. "Not here." He gestured toward his apartment, gauging her comfort with going upstairs._

_"You're making me a little nervous. Are you about to serve me with papers or something?" she joked as she walked past him to the stairs._

_"Nothing like that." Evasive as ever._

_Luke followed a few steps behind as Lorelai took the stairs. When his apartment door came into view, he stepped past her and opened it, making room for her to slip by. She stepped into the dimly lit space while he closed and locked the door behind them._

_"What's up, Luke?" she asked. He came to stand in front of her, just a few paces away. His hands hung limply at his sides. He seemed unsure about how to proceed. "Just tell me," she urged._

_"I just… I have to do something," he said. She nodded her assent, knowing Luke would never steer them wrong. The trust between them was something built over the better part of a decade, and she didn't doubt him for a second._

_Luke swallowed heavily, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he took a step closer. Lorelai fought the urge to reclaim the space, staying planted as she watched him curiously._

_He reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear, then rested his palm against her cheek. His hand was warm, verging on sweaty, but she leaned into the touch anyway. Her heart was starting to beat faster as he continued to come closer, closer, until she could feel his breath falling across her lips._

_"Luke," his voice left her lips in a whisper, and her next words were swallowed by his mouth as he kissed her fully._

Lorelai looked up at Luke from where she sat on the couch, him standing a few feet away, waiting patiently for her to respond to his confession.

He loved her. He _loved_ her.

Those kisses from earlier that had heated up so quickly, that had led to her body being crushed between his and the door… those weren't just kisses of lust, but love. Real, genuine, take me to the altar, sign on the dotted line, _love_.

That coil, the one that had been tightening and squeezing her insides… it snapped.

She was on her feet in an instant, and her lips were on his.

She clawed at the rough material of his suit jacket, using it to drag him closer, harder, needing to feel his body against hers. He moaned into her mouth and pulled her flush against him with his hands flat on her ass, dragging her centre to his so she could feel just how deeply affected he was.

Luke manoeuvred them toward the bed, expertly stepping around his coffee table, careful not to bump her into anything. Lorelai's eyes remained closed, her hands balled in his jacket, trusting him not to steer them wrong. And he didn't.

When her back hit the bed, Luke followed her down instantly, hovering over her and kissing her with frantic need.

The barriers went quickly. His jacket and shirt, her sweater and dress. Once they were down to just their underwear, they scurried to the pillows and Luke came to rest over her, her legs splayed open to accommodate his form. He was hard between her legs, so she pushed up into him to get a better feel for what he was working with. There was no denying he was a gifted man. Knowing he would be filling her soon made her dizzy with anticipation.

"Luke," she said in a breath as his lips moved down to her bra-clad breasts. He kissed all around them but avoided the peaks that were craving his touch. God, the way he teased her made her crazy.

His tongue traced the line of her red demi-cup, caressing the milky-white skin and leaving a dewy path in its wake.

"Oh god, just take it off," she whined. Luke looked up at her, a playful lilt in his eyes that made her smile. She'd thought about their first time together many times, and in none of those imaginings was he _playful_. It was kind of delightful.

"Patience," he gently admonished. She shook her head, rolled her eyes, but let him continue his torturous journey of discovery.

Luke moved lower, tracing open-mouthed kisses along the soft skin of her stomach, following the dip of her sternum downward to her belly button. He traced his tongue around the indent, making Lorelai giggle from the tickle. He smiled against her skin and did it again.

When Luke moved lower yet again, he did so with intention. He hooked his fingers under the waistband of her panties and began to pull them down, so slowly that if Lorelai didn't see her own skin being revealed, she'd be sure they weren't moving at all.

Luke dropped kisses to every inch of newly exposed skin, crossing her pubic bone with his lips and tongue, leaving her desperate for him to finally touch her where she wanted him most. She pushed her hips up, giving him better access to remove her lacy thong, but he didn't pull it down any further. Instead, he buried his mouth against the lace that covered her most intimate parts and she could feel a new and exciting pressure against her.

"Please, Luke," she tried again. He looked up, watched her for a moment. He seemed to be waiting for something. "God, please," she tried again.

"Do you love me, Lorelai?" he asked. She blinked back at him, confused.

"What?"

"I love you, Lorelai. Do you love me?" She felt a sense of panic rising within her. She had never said those words to anyone, and he wanted them now? In the middle of this moment when all she could think of was feeling him inside of her?

She stared back at him, mouth open, no words coming out. His face morphed from hopeful to hurt in a matter of seconds, and then he was backing off. He pushed her underwear back up, got off the bed, and walked away.

"Luke?" she called as he disappeared around the corner. She sat up and looked around as the space got darker. "Luke!" she tried again, louder. Her voice grew and grew until she was screaming his name over and over again into the darkness.

"Mom?"

The sound penetrated, but didn't fully wake her. Her body shook.

"Mom, wake up!"

More shaking. Lorelai opened her eyes and blinked to get her bearings. She looked over and saw Rory perched on the mattress next to her. Across the aisle, two more sets of eyes watched her from their respective bunks.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked. Lorelai was breathing heavily, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked up at Rory and tried to ground herself, but the dream still loomed heavy in her mind.

"I'm okay," she lied. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the feeling of loss that seemed to penetrate her very soul. "Just a bad dream."

"About Luke?"

Lorelai's brow furrowed. "What?"

"You were calling his name," Rory explained. "Was he hurt or something?"

"Something like that," Lorelai said. In truth, the feeling of loss wasn't much different from a death.

"That sounds awful. I'm sorry." Lorelai smiled sadly at her daughter. Even now, on the cusp of adulthood, she was still such a sweet, caring girl. Lorelai sat up as best she could, careful not to bump her head, and accepted a hug from her daughter.

"Just a dream," Lorelai assured her. "Thanks for waking me up."

"Well, it was either that or let you wake the entire hostel," Rory teased lightly as she pulled back from the hug. Lorelai smiled bashfully and looked over at the other girls.

"Sorry," she offered. They both eyed her skeptically for another moment before rolling over to get more rest. Lorelai turned back to Rory. "Get some sleep, Kid. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

"Yeah, you too." Lorelai nodded and laid back down as Rory climbed back up to her bed.

The sounds evened out in the room as the girls all went back to sleep. Lorelai, though, was wired. The dream had shaken her much more than it should have.

She spent the rest of the night staring at the underside of Rory's bunk, waiting for daylight to come and rescue her from her own thoughts.

**XXXX**

The Big One happened shortly after Lorelai and Rory returned home from Europe. Exhausted and delirious from jetlag, when the pair returned home from the Friday night dinner that wouldn't end, they both trudged to bed without fanfare, crashing into their pillows and preparing for some much-needed rest.

For Lorelai, the night had been particularly draining. Not only was she preparing to send her one and only progeny off into the big bad world, she was also the only person Luke had confided in about his hasty marriage and subsequent separation from Nicole.

Her heart nearly stopped when Luke told her he was married. The look on his face was so much more than embarrassment – it was regret, and fear for how the news would be received. And Lorelai hadn't exactly taken it well. She tried to be supportive, but for a moment she had to genuinely contemplate the possibility of losing their special, if unusual, relationship, and it was not a pleasant concept.

So when Lorelai got into bed that night, she was fully done with the day. She was physically, mentally and emotionally spent, and she couldn't spend one more moment in the waking world.

As she had done during so many other times of heightened stress, she welcomed her dream world, and hoped her warm blanket would be there to greet her.

**XXXX**

As many of her dreams did, this one started in a familiar scene. She entered the diner after closing, the shades drawn but the door still unlocked. Luke was wiping down the counter, just about done for the evening.

"We're closed." She could tell by his tone that he wasn't exactly telling her to leave. She crossed the floor and came to sit on the stool nearest to the register. Luke continued to clean up.

She gathered her nerve and asked the question that had plagued her all night.

"Why'd you do it?"

Luke stopped cleaning and looked up at her, confused. "Why did I do what?"

"Why'd you get married?"

Luke sighed. "I told you this already."

"But you didn't. Not really. Love was in the air so you went ahead and got hitched? That's not like you."

"There may have been some Jose Cuervo involved in that decision," he admitted. Lorelai huffed an incredulous laugh.

"Luke, it takes you like two weeks to buy a pair of socks. You're telling me all I have to do is get you a little liquored up and you're suddenly The Flash?"

"I don't know what you want me to say, Lorelai. I made a mistake," he said, defensively.

"Well, yeah."

"And I'm dealing with it. So why do you care?"

"I'm just baffled," she told him. "You are the steadiest person I know. What could have possibly made you make such a drastic decision?"

Luke sighed and dropped the rag. He rounded the counter and sunk down onto the stool next to her, resting his elbows on his knees, hands clasped. He leaned in a little closer and seemed to consider his next words carefully.

"Do you ever get the feeling like you're running out of time?" he asked. Lorelai's brow furrowed.

"Time for what?"

"Time to find what you're looking for." He shook his head and tried again. "To find the _person_ you're looking for. To get moving on your life."

She thought back to some of the times she'd felt rushed into action. She had certainly felt that way with Max. Chris, too; like if they hadn't jumped in at Sookie's wedding, there would never be another chance for them.

She looked at Luke, finally coming to understand his thought process.

"You thought Nicole was your last chance?" she asked gently. Luke shrugged, but didn't respond. Lorelai reached out to him and rested both of her hands over his. "Luke, you are not running out of time. Nicole doesn't have to be the one."

He looked up at her, his eyes sad and little resigned.

"If not her, then who?"

"Literally anyone else," Lorelai said emphatically, making no secret of her distaste for the blonde lawyer. Luke chuckled softly at that. It didn't reach his eyes, but Lorelai took it as a small victory.

"You really don't like her, do you?"

"She doesn't like me either," she reminded him. Luke allowed this.

"True enough."

"But I _really_ like you," she told him. "I want you to be happy, Luke. You deserve to be happy."

"So do you," he told her with a little smile.

"I'm plenty happy," she told him. He raised his eyebrows. "I'm sort of happy. Happy-ish. Happy adjacent," she amended. He nodded and looked down where her hands remained over his. He unclasped his fingers and turned his hands over to catch hers. Lorelai looked down at the new touch and then back up at him. What she saw in his eyes made her breath catch.

"Hypothetically speaking," Luke ventured. "If you want me to be happy, and I want you to be happy… what do you think the chances are that we could be happy together?"

Lorelai smiled despite the nerves bubbling in her gut.

" _Hypothetically speaking_ ," she teased. Luke grinned and looked down at their hands. She squeezed his to encourage him to look back up. "I think we could make a decent go of it," she told him.

"You do?" he asked, seeming hopeful.

"Don't you?" Luke smiled a little brighter this time.

"I do."

"Whoa, slow down there, buddy, we haven't gone out on a date yet," she joked. Luke rolled his eyes good-naturedly, but couldn't tamp down the grin that had taken up permanent residence on his face.

"You can't help yourself, can you?"

"It's a reflex," she told him. Luke smiled.

"Trust me, I know." Lorelai looked down to where Luke's thumbs had started caressing small circles into the back of her hands. She stood up from her stool and stepped toward him, slipping into the space between his knees. She dropped his hands and wrapped her arms around his shoulders while his circled her waist.

"If we're going to do this, we need some ground rules," Lorelai said, although the smile on her face belied the seriousness of her words. Luke raised an eyebrow.

"Like?"

"Like, you need to make sure I have coffee in the morning, or else I won't be able to function."

"I know this," he assured her.

"And you can't get mad at me when I'm late for things, because I _will_ be late for things."

"I'll just tell you to be ready half an hour before we need to leave."

"And you have to go to at least some town meetings with me."

"Ah, geez," he groaned.

"Just some!"

"Ugh, fine. _Some_ ," he emphasized. She steadied herself before finishing off her list.

"And whatever happens, you still have to be my friend. Okay?"

"I'll always be your friend, Lorelai," he told her, sincerely. She nodded.

"Good."

"Good," he agreed. He waited a beat for her to continue, and when she didn't, he filled the silence. "Are you done?"

"I'm done," she confirmed.

"Then can I kiss you now?" The smile that bloomed on Lorelai's face could have lit up the whole town. Luke took that as her answer and got to his feet, bringing their bodies in contact. He checked for any last minute regrets and then closed the space between them, their lips coming together in a way that was soft and sweet.

The first kiss slipped easily into the second as they slowly explored these new sensations together. Smiles tugged at their lips, filling the spaces between kisses. Lorelai let her hand slip up the skin of Luke's neck into his hair, fingering the curls that slipped out from under his ever-present blue hat. Luke's hands stayed locked on her lower back, but his thumbs swept back and forth in a way that was both comforting and tantalizing.

Luke started to pull back first, but Lorelai followed him, raising onto her tiptoes so he couldn't get away. He chuckled into the kiss and met her with a new level of passion, opening his mouth and slipping his tongue along the seam of her lips. When she granted him access, he dove in longingly, tongues sliding together, moans from both of their throats getting lost in the middle.

Lorelai's hips started to move in a languid dance. Luke groaned as she made contact with his lower half and slipped his hands down to aid in their connection, pulling her in as he pushed out, drawing their hips together.

His lips left hers and moved in pecks across her jaw and down the column of her throat, finally taking up residence at the base of her neck where her skin was so sensitive.

Lorelai grabbed the bill of Luke's hat and pulled it off his head, tossing it into the space behind him so she could tangle her fingers in his hair and hold him to her. Their bodies were rhythmically moving together now, dancing to a song neither could hear, keeping a tempo all their own.

Lorelai's breath left her in a little moan as Luke's mouth and hands worked her body. She was quickly needing more, after so long waiting for this man to touch her the way he was now. She brought her hands down from his hair to caress over his shoulders and chest, until she found the first button on his shirt and slipped it easily from the hole. She moved lower while Luke kissed and tasted her skin, not allowing himself to be distracted as he licked and sucked at her throat and shoulder.

Lorelai pulled back once the final button was undone and pushed the flannel off Luke's shoulders. He let it hit the floor, and then grabbed the hem of his undershirt and discarded that as well, letting Lorelai know he was as ready as she was to move forward.

Luke grabbed Lorelai's shirt by the hem, pulling it up and over her head. She raised her arms to he could strip her of it, and then she reached behind her to quickly discard her bra. When the flimsy material dropped to the floor, Luke looked over Lorelai's exposed upper half with barely disguised lust.

"God, Lorelai," he moaned. Lorelai grinned and pulled him back in for another deep kiss. Their bare chests were now in contact, and Lorelai felt tantalized by the warmth of his skin and the hair of his chest teasing her sensitive nipples. God, she wanted to feel every part of him. Her body was demanding it.

Luke kissed Lorelai hastily a few more times before bending down to take one hardened nub in his mouth. Lorelai moaned into the silence of the diner and held him in place with both hands on the back of his head. His mouth was talented in the way it tended to her breasts, and she made a mental note to see what else that tongue was good for later.

But for now, she had one thing on her mind, and she was not going to be deterred. Not again.

"Luke," Lorelai said. He pulled away and stood up before her.

"Too fast?" he questioned. She shook her head.

"God no. Not fast enough," she corrected. Luke chuckled as she reached out and made quick work of his belt and pants, finally dropping all of it to the floor in a heap around his ankles. She went to work on her own jeans while he kicked off his shoes and discarded the rest of his clothes. It only took a moment for the two of them to be without barriers, standing before each other in the dimly lit diner, a physical ache between them that demanded to be sated.

Luke stepped to Lorelai again and leaned down to kiss her tenderly, taking the heat level down a few notches, only to have her ramp it back up within moments. His erection defied gravity as it rubbed in a sinful way against her wet outer lips, and she felt that there was nothing in the world more important than feeling him inside of her, as quickly as possible.

Lorelai reversed their positions after a few moments more of delightful torture, dropping her hands to the counter and pushing her backside into Luke's groin. He didn't wait for further invitation. He took hold of his member and placed it at her entrance.

Luke had every intention of easing his way in, but Lorelai was so incredibly wet, he slipped in deep without trying. She gasped at the sudden and total invasion, but the shock quickly turned to pleasure as she moaned and pushed back into him, bringing him even deeper until he was fully situated inside of her.

"Oh god, yes," Lorelai said in a breath. She pushed back into him, showing him she was ready for more. Luke leaned down and dropped a kiss to her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her middle as he began to move. He kept a slow pace to start, wanting to make this moment last. He pulled out and pushed back inside in a purposeful fashion that left Lorelai's shaking a moaning with barely repressed need.

"Lorelai," her name left his lips in a gravelly tone that shot straight through her body. He sped up then, his hips moving both of their bodies as his chest was flush with her back, his arms wrapped tightly around her. To Lorelai, it felt like she was being consumed by him. He was everywhere, his hands, his broad chest, his member deep inside. All she could feel, all she could think about, was Luke. He encompassed every part of her that wanted or felt anything, and she couldn't imagine anything better than being in this moment with him.

The pair moved at this pace for a while longer, bodies totally connected, until Lorelai couldn't take the slow burn anymore. She begged him to move faster, and he obliged. His left hand moved to the underside of her shoulder and used it as leverage to pull her back into him, hitting harder with each thrust, picking up the pace until he was all but pounding into her body. Lorelai pushed back, meeting his each stroke and compounding the force between them until she was coming apart at the seams.

"Oh fuck!" she cried. She dropped her head to the counter and closed her eyes tightly as she rode out her orgasm. As she did so, Luke brought his hands to her hips and continued his full on assault of her senses, riding her through it and bringing her to an immediate second peak before weakness began to overtake her.

Luke finished quickly after that, unable to contain his explosion of pleasure and joy as he came deep inside of her.

When he was done, Luke dropped his head onto her back and kissed between her shoulder blades, both of them breathing heavily in tandem as they sought to come down from their mutual heights.

"Do you love me?" Lorelai heard him say, though his voice was muffled in her back. She didn't raise her head, she just smiled into the countertop.

"I love you," she whispered. He kissed her back again.

"Good. Me, too."

**XXXX**

Lorelai opened her eyes slowly, a satisfied smile crossing her lips. She blinked into the darkness of her room as the dream flooded back to her in remarkable detail. Every touch, every lingering kiss felt completely real. She felt, once again, like her soul had been wrapped up in a warm blanket.

She considered all that had happened in the dream, and in all of her dreams up to this point. It wasn't surprising that they had finally crossed that line. As their unconscious encounters became steamier, she was just waiting for the dream when they would finally go all the way. She was not disappointed that this was the one.

But even so, one thought perpetuated above all others. It was the last one Lorelai allowed on the subject before closing her eyes and attempting to go back to sleep:

"Huh," she mused aloud. "Never thought it would happen in the diner."


	3. Don't Get Engaged

**Don't Get Engaged**

**Inspired by Episode 3:22 – Those Are Strings, Pinocchio**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _I just wanted to say something to you in case we don't see each other before you go on your trip.  
 **LUKE:** Sure, what?  
 **LORELAI:** Don't get engaged.  
 **LUKE:** What, why?_

**Description: Luke dreams Lorelai comes to his diner after Rory's graduation. This time, he doesn't let her leave.**

* * *

When Luke left Rory's graduation, he felt strange. Lorelai and Rory's teasing about getting engaged to Nicole had been circling in his head all day, and he couldn't shake the feeling that if he went on this trip with her, he might do something he would regret.

When he asked Lorelai if she thought it would be okay for him to go, _considering everything_ , she urged him to do it. He honestly wasn't even sure why he was asking. He just respected her opinion and wanted to know for sure that she thought he was being fair to Nicole.

It was just a cruise, anyway. Who ever said going on a vacation with a partner meant having to commit? When did it become the rule that you had to keep dates within a 20-mile radius of home until you were ready to put a ring on her finger? That was ridiculous.

He tried to shake those thoughts off when he returned to the diner. It was mid-afternoon and the lunch rush was over. Caesar seemed to have everything well in hand, so Luke headed up to his apartment to try and relax. He thought maybe a beer and a ballgame would be just the ticket to get his mind off of everything that was bothering him.

It must have been the hot sun beating down on them, or the slew of boring speeches (Rory's excluded, of course), or the parade of kids he didn't care about crossing the stage, but by the time Luke eased down into his chair, he just felt wiped. Who knew something so mundane as a high school graduation could take so much out of a guy?

With nothing on the docket for a few more hours, Luke let his eyes close, telling himself he'd just rest for a bit and then head down to help with the dinner rush.

As Luke entered dreamland, he found himself working in the diner alone, long after dark. For some reason he was still wearing his shirt and tie from the graduation. An odd choice for a job that involved regular mustard disasters.

He was tidying up when the bells over the door chimed.

"Hey, Luke," Lorelai greeted as she entered. She was still wearing her red dress. Luke thought she looked beautiful, but he bit back the words before they could escape from his lips.

"Lorelai, hi. Where's Rory?"

"Oh, she went home."

"Oh. It was a really nice ceremony, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was beautiful." She seemed uncomfortable. Her eyes darted around the diner as if she had something to say, but was holding it back.

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to say something to you in case we don't see each other before you go on your trip."

"Sure, what?" Lorelai seemed to mentally steel herself before speaking again.

"Don't get engaged," she said, her eyes finally landing on his. Luke's brow creased.

"What, why?" She watched him for a moment before turning to leave. "Lorelai, wait," he said, reaching out to stop her.

"I gotta go," she said, trying to pull away.

"Would you wait just a second?" he exclaimed. She finally stopped struggling and turned to face him, an embarrassed flush rising to her cheeks.

"What?"

"You can't just drop that on me and leave. Tell me why," he demanded. She crossed her arms protectively over her chest and looked down at the floor so as not to catch his eye.

"You _know_ why, Luke."

"Remind me." She took a deep, steadying breath and brought her eyes back up to his.

"Because of _everything_ ," she said simply. It was Luke's turn to avert his gaze.

"Lorelai…"

"You asked. That's the reason."

"But that doesn't mean anything! Can we please just have this conversation without skirting around the issue?" He was becoming frustrated.

"The _issue_?" Lorelai asked, bringing her tone up to match his. "Is that what we're calling this? This _thing_ between us? An _issue_?"

"Well, what would you call it?" he demanded. "You never showed any interest when I was single, and now I'm seeing someone and you're here asking me to, what? Leave her?"

"I didn't ask you to leave her."

"No, you just asked me to stay available, right? Because everybody gets to be happy but me. Everybody gets to have what they want, _who_ they want, but me," he shot back.

"Who do you want, Luke?" she asked, her tone steady but thick with emotion.

"You know the answer to that," he spit back at her.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to stop skirting around this. Say what you want to say," she fought back.

The two of them stood apart, staring at each other, tension thick between them. Luke felt his heart beating like he had just run a mile, and Lorelai seemed similarly affected by the twists this conversation had taken.

Luke thought of what to say, how he could tell her these things without irreparably damaging this friendship that meant so much to both of them.

He took a chance and met her eye, finding her looking at him in a way that dared him to speak his truth, to act on the feelings that had been swirling inside of him for years.

He took a step closer. She didn't step back.

He put a hand on her waist and the other on her cheek. She let him pull her close.

He closed the distance and kissed her, finally, fully, and with all of the passion that had built up not just that day, but every day since he realized that he was in love with her.

Lorelai gripped the wrist of the hand that held her face, holding onto him tightly so he wouldn't back away as she moved to deepen the kiss. She opened her mouth and Luke slipped his tongue inside, tasting her for the first time in the way he had always wanted to. She tasted like peppermint gum mixed with coffee, and another flavour that was uniquely hers. He moaned, knowing that he would never taste anything better than this again.

When they finally pulled away, Luke took a look around his vacant diner with the curtains wide open.

"Upstairs," Lorelai said. It was not a question. He nodded, and went around her to lock the door before leading her behind the curtain with a hand on her lower back.

When they reached his apartment, there was no hesitancy from either of them as Lorelai grabbed Luke by the shirt and hauled him back into a searing kiss. Between the tie around his neck and her mouth on his, he felt like he couldn't get any air. He tugged at the tie, pulling it loose and throwing it away before wrapping his arms tightly around her.

Lorelai's arms circled his neck and she sidled her body flush against his so he could feel their connection at every point. This was what he had always wanted. He could hardly believe it was happening.

His hands went to work on her back, rubbing in gentle circles as their tongues duelled in his mouth. Lorelai began to slip the buttons of his shirt out of their holes and tugged it loose from his pants to pull it off of him entirely.

"You wear too many clothes," she complained against his mouth as she went to work on his belt, fumbling with it. Luke replaced her hands with his and made quick work of it, followed quickly by the button and fly on his dress pants.

Lorelai stepped back and pulled her sweater off her shoulders before moving back in and pulling his undershirt up and over his head. Luke let her undress him, wanting nothing more than to feel her skin against his.

He leaned in again for another kiss as his fingers found the zipper at the nape of her neck and pulled it all the way down, her dress hanging limply off her form. She pulled the straps free from her shoulders and let the garment fall to the floor, pooling around her feet.

"Bed?" Luke suggested. Lorelai shook her head.

"Too far." With a quick move, she dropped his loose pants and boxers to the floor, allowing him to step out of them and kick his shoes and socks away before returning to her. She pushed him into his living room and sat him down in his chair.

Luke took her in then, as she stood before him clad only in a lacy red bralette with a matching thong and strappy sandals. The sight was almost too much for him. He felt his manhood throb at the image that would surely haunt his dreams for years to come. He swallowed hard as she reached behind her and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to her feet. Her underwear followed quickly after.

"Who do you want, Luke?" she asked, her eyes dark with arousal as she looked down at him.

"I want you, Lorelai," he finally admitted. "It's always been you."

She lowered herself onto him, straddling his waist in the chair. When he felt himself begin to penetrate her hot centre, it was all he could do to keep from letting go then and there. She sunk down onto him, taking every inch in her warmth, both of them groaning in unison at the feeling of their connection.

Once she landed fully, Lorelai met his heavily-lidded gaze with her own.

"I want you, too," she whispered. Luke moaned at the words he had longed to hear for so many years.

Finally, with her hands on his broad shoulders, Lorelai began to move up and down on his erection, sliding him almost all the way out before dropping back down onto him in long, languid strokes. Luke's hands went to her hips and he helped her move over him.

It was a slow burn as they brought each other up in Luke's dimly lit apartment, in a chair that had never seen this kind of action – at least not with a second participant. Lorelai alternated between bouncing up and down on Luke's shaft and moving her hips in circles, taking him in deep and holding him there as they both marvelled at the feeling of being connected in such an intimate way.

Luke could feel his balls begin to tighten and a familiar fluttering in his stomach as Lorelai's pace sped up. From his vantage point, he could see her beautiful face etched with pleasure, her chest flushed with exertion, and her breasts bouncing, nipples hard and ready in front of his face. Lorelai began to moan louder, telling Luke that she was getting close.

He leaned forward and took a perfect pink nipple into his mouth, circling it with his tongue, bringing her all the more pleasure as she moved faster against him, dragging her clit over him with every long stroke.

He pulled back to watch her as she came apart, her eyes screwed shut, his name falling from her lips as she rode out her orgasm. He pushed up into her as best he could from his position, revelling in the moment of her release and allowing it to spur on his own. It was the sexiest thing he had ever seen, and it provided more than enough stimulation to get him there.

Lorelai continued to ride him hard and fast as he came, grunts emanating from deep inside of him. He pulled her body over him again and again as he emptied himself fully inside of her, a feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

Once he was spent, Lorelai dropped her forehead against his and he could see the incredible clear blue of her eyes gazing lovingly into his.

"Still going on that cruise?" she asked. Luke huffed a tired laugh and leaned forward, catching her lips with his in a long, gentle kiss.

Just then, Luke became aware of a banging noise. He blinked his eyes open and found himself sitting alone in his chair, still dressed, no one in his apartment but him.

It was a dream. It was just another goddamn dream – but it had felt so real. He looked down and found an erection raging in his pants. Clearly other parts of him thought it was real, too.

The banging came again.

"Luke, if you're in there, I could use some help downstairs," Caesar called. "Dinner rush is starting."

"Yeah, I'll be right down," Luke called back, groggily. He listened to Caesar head down the stairs, and he shook his head to try and wake up and shake off the remaining images from his dream, but they were seared in his memory.

He pulled himself up and began to take off his dress clothes so he could get to work. The erection was beginning to wane, and for that, he was grateful. He tried not to think about other women when he had a girlfriend, but he knew if he took hold of himself now only one face would come to mind, and it wouldn't be Nicole's.

He sighed and pulled on his flannel and blue cap. He couldn't think too hard about his mixed up feelings right now. He had work to do.


	4. Gut Instinct

**Gut Instinct**

**Inspired by Episode 4.05 - The Fundamental Things Apply**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Yeah, but dating is how you get to know your potential partner. It's the only way._

**_LUKE:_ ** _There's the gut. I can tell if I'm comfortable with someone within seconds of meeting them. I feel it here. I felt it with Rachel. I felt it with Nicole. I was immediately relaxed._

**Description: A conversation about Luke's "gut instinct" takes a surprising turn when Lorelai asks what his gut told him about her.**

* * *

Lorelai hung up the phone, leaving Rory to her date. She and Luke were in the middle of watching _Casablanca_ when her daughter had called, freaking out that she didn't know how to behave, and wanting advice for how to make sure the rest of the date wouldn't be a total disaster.

Lorelai had relayed her advice, and Luke's, and was reasonably satisfied when Rory hung up the phone that her progeny would do just fine. She might not marry the guy, but she had to figure out the rest on her own. It was a rite of passage.

"I wouldn't trade places with her for the world," Luke said as Lorelai returned to the couch.

"Really? You wouldn't want to go out with a boy named Trevor? You might want to wait and see his picture," she teased.

"I mean dating. It's a horror."

"It's the only cure for the singleness thing, barring ordering a spouse off the internet."

"I missed nothing by not dating."

"Not true," Lorelai disagreed.

"If I had dated a lot, I'd still be single. I'd just have spent a lot of bad nights at Tony Roma's."

"Yeah, but dating is how you get to know your potential partner. It's the only way."

"There's the gut. I can tell if I'm comfortable with someone within seconds of meeting them. I feel it here," he gestured to his abdomen. "I felt it with Rachel. I felt it with Nicole. I was immediately relaxed."

"You've got the gut thing."

"Well, it's just knowing that someone will let you be. That's a gut thing."

"So what did your gut tell you about me?" she asked.

Luke huffed a laugh. "Run away, as fast as you can."

"No, really," she pushed.

"I don't know, Lorelai. It was a long time ago. Besides, I've known you long enough that it doesn't really matter anymore."

"Of course it matters," she insisted.

"Why?"

"Because I want to know how I stack up."

"Stack up against what?"

"Against your all-knowing gut instinct. Did you like me?" she asked.

"I didn't know you," he attempted.

"Hence the gut," she needled.

"Right," he agreed.

"So?"

"So… I don't know what you want me to say," he said, hoping to get off the topic.

"Just tell me what you thought of me when you first met me," she urged.

"I guess… I thought, 'here's a crazy lady going through caffeine withdrawal'," he finally said.

"That's not a gut instinct, that's an observation," Lorelai pointed out.

"What's the difference?"

"You're the one who swears by his gut, you should know the difference."

Luke sighed. "Lorelai, do you remember the first time we met?"

"Vaguely. It was at _Luke's_ , right?"

"It was at _Luke's_ , it was at lunch, the place was packed, and you came tearing into the diner in a caffeine frenzy."

"Sounds like me," she agreed, a smile playing on her features.

"I was with a customer. You interrupted me, begging for coffee, so I told you to wait your turn. Then you started following me around, talking my ear off. So finally I turned to you and said, 'you're being annoying – sit down, shut up, I'll get to you when I get to you'."

"You know, I bet I took that very well," she said with mock sincerity.

"You demanded to know when my birthday was. Wouldn't leave me alone until I told you. Then you snatched the newspaper right out of the hands of Old Man Hopper, opened it up to the horoscope page, wrote something down, tore it out and handed it to me."

"Oh my god, I forgot all about the horoscope!" Lorelai exclaimed in laughter, pieces of their first interaction coming back to her.

"So I'm looking at this piece of paper, and under Scorpio, you had written, 'you will meet an annoying woman today. Give her coffee and she'll go away'."

"And you gave me the coffee," she finished the story for him, finally recalling their meeting all those years ago. "But I didn't go away."

"Nope. You swindled me the first time we met, and you've been doing it ever since," he concluded, amusedly.

"Hey, didn't I tell you to keep the horoscope for luck?"

Luke laughed. "Yes, you did."

"Man, I will say anything for a cup of coffee."

"And you have," he confirmed.

"So what does it say for your all-knowing gut that you kept me around after my dazzling first impression?" She jabbed him in the side, feeling confident that she had made her point.

Luke eyed her for a moment, as if making up his mind. Finally, he dug in his back pocket and produced his wallet.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He pulled something out and handed it to her.

"I'd say my gut was right on," he told her. She took the proffered square of aged paper and regarded it, recognition coming over her face.

"You kept this?" she asked, looking up at him for confirmation, despite the evidence in her hand. He shrugged and held his hand out to take the slip of paper back, but she held on to it. "Why did you keep this?"

"I don't know. I guess I forgot it was in there," he told her, casually. She regarded his outstretched hand another moment before relinquishing the paper. He tucked it back into its spot and tossed the wallet onto the coffee table. "You want to finish the movie?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Lorelai stammered. Luke picked the remote up and turned it back on, studiously avoiding her gaze as she continued to watch him.

"What?" he asked after a long moment.

"Nothing," she said quickly.

"Quit staring at me."

"I'm not staring."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm just… thinking." Luke sighed and paused the movie, turning to look at her.

"Thinking about what?"

"What does it mean?" she asked.

"Are we talking in an existential sense, like _what does it all mean_ , or in a concrete sense, like _why are we still talking_?"

"The horoscope, Luke. What does it mean?"

"Nothing. It doesn't mean anything. I told you, I forgot about it," he maintained.

"It's been there for seven years," she said, matter-of-factly.

"You're just lucky I never clean out my wallet."

"Because you would have gotten rid of it if you had?"

Luke sighed. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

"I just want to know."

"Lorelai, I don't know. I put it in my wallet, we became friends, I left it there. I guess it was a nice reminder."

"Of our friendship?" she questioned.

"Yes."

"Like a bracelet? Or a necklace we each wear one half of?"

"Okay, this conversation is over," he said firmly.

"No, Luke, I want to know." More nervously, she asked, "Do you… did you… like me?"

"Of course I like you," he told her.

"Not 'let's go to a ball game' kind of like. _Like_ like," she clarified. Luke took a long breath and let it out.

"Lorelai…"

"You can tell me, you know. If you had a crush on me, it would be okay," she said.

"A _crush_?" he mimicked, sarcastically.

"Yeah."

"I didn't know you. How can you have a crush on someone you don't know?" he asked.

"It happens every day."

"Not to me."

"You're being evasive," she said.

"Well, I don't want to answer the question."

"Because you _did_ have a crush on me?" she pushed.

"Because there's no right answer," he told her.

"The truth is the right answer."

"No, it isn't," he said. "If I tell you I had a crush on you, you'll read into it. If I tell you I didn't have a crush on you, you'll wonder why the hell not. There's no right answer, so I'm not answering."

"I won't feel bad if you didn't," she offered up.

"And if I did?" he asked.

"I would be okay with that too. It was seven years ago, right?"

Luke sighed. "Right."

"So just tell me."

"No."

"Ugh, you're frustrating!" she exclaimed.

" _I'm_ frustrating?" he asked, shifting in his seat so he was facing her more fully.

"Yes!"

"You're the one pushing the issue. Just let it go."

"I don't want to let it go," she said, petulantly.

"Why not?"

"Because I wanna know."

"Why?"

"Because I'm curious."

"Why?" he asked again.

"Because… I don't know, I just am," she finished, lamely.

"Now _you're_ being evasive," he turned it around.

"I'm not being evasive, I just don't know."

"Well, I'm not answering your stupid question, so can we just drop it, please?" he begged. Lorelai studied him for a moment, before continuing.

"I have a proposition for you," she said. He eyed her nervously.

"A proposition?"

"Yes."

"Which is…"

"You tell me what I want to know, and you get to ask me one question that you're dying to know, and I have to answer it," she explained, finishing with a smile.

"That's not much of a proposition," he groused. She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, sorry, were you hoping I was _propositioning_ you?"

"Ah, geez." She smirked at her ability to get a rise out of him.

"You in?" she asked.

"You're ridiculous," he told her.

"That's well established."

Luke sighed heavily. "You wanted to know if I had a crush on you when I first met you?"

"Yes."

"You want the God's honest truth."

"Yes!"

"I did not have a crush on you," he said, firmly. Lorelai reared back.

"What?" she asked.

"What?" he shot back.

"You didn't?"

"No."

"But… with all the avoidance, I thought…"

"You thought what? That I was going to declare my undying love for you?" he teased.

"No!"

"Then what? You wanted the truth. That's the truth."

"But…" she fought for a moment to land on her next words, "Why not?" she finally asked.

"Because you were annoying," he told her plainly. "You called me 'Duke' for two years. You came into the diner like a tornado, demanded all of my attention and tormented me."

"I wasn't that bad," she sulked.

"You _were_ that bad. You're still that bad, I'm just used to you now," he told her.

"So you never had feelings for me at all?" she asked.

"Did we agree to follow-ups?" he asked, rather than answering the question.

"I'm just asking."

"Well, it's my turn," he said, sidestepping her query.

"Fine, go ahead," she agreed.

"Did you ever have feelings for me?" he asked, turning it around on her. He figured if she could play in unchartered territory, so could he.

"Ever? Like any time in the last seven years?"

"Yeah."

"Yes," she said, easily. His eyebrows shot up at her admission.

"Yes, you had feelings for me?" he clarified.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"When?"

"Uh uh, no follow-ups. Your rule," she dodged, pointing a finger in his direction.

"Well, change the rule. I want to know," he demanded.

"Why?"

" _Why_?" he asked.

"Yeah, why do you want to know?" she pushed.

"Because I do."

"My my, how the tables have turned."

Luke rolled his eyes at her self-satisfied smirk. "You know what? Never mind. If we're not finishing the movie, I gotta get home." He started to push himself up off the couch, only to have Lorelai reach out and stop him with a hand on his arm.

"No, no, Luke. We can do follow-ups. Don't go yet," she said in a rush.

"Why not?"

"Because I want to finish the conversation."

He settled back into his seat with a heavy, put upon sigh. "Fine," he agreed.

"But you have to answer my follow-up before I answer yours," she told him.

"What was your follow-up again?" he asked.

"Did you ever have feelings for me?"

"Sure," he told her with a shrug. She blinked at him, at how easily he answered the question.

" _Sure_?" she asked, hoping she had heard him right.

"Sure," he confirmed. "I've known you a long time. You're a beautiful woman. Of course I've thought about it."

"Just thought about it, or really _wanted_ it?" she asked.

"You have to answer my follow-up first if you want me to answer your follow-up to the follow-up." She rolled her eyes, but chose to play ball. She had been the one who asked him to stay, after all.

"You wanted to know _when_ I had feelings for you?" she asked. He nodded. "I guess they popped up from time to time," she said honestly. "You'd make my kid a birthday cake, or repair my house, or build me a chuppah, and I'd feel it, on occasion."

"I really wanted it," he responded. Her brow furrowed. "Your follow-up. I really wanted it. I didn't just think about it," he confirmed.

"When was this?" She tried to ignore the nerves bubbling in her stomach at this unexpected turn.

"Same as you, I guess. From time to time, feelings pop up." Such a simple answer, so many possibilities. She had to know more.

"Still?" she asked.

"You're kind of taking over the follow-up game here," Luke said, shifting uncomfortably. She shook her head to try and dislodge some of the questions, but they weren't going away.

"Sorry, go ahead," she said, quietly.

"When was the last time?" he asked. She looked at him confusedly, and he elaborated. "You know, the last time you felt… that way, about me."

"Oh man, that's not as easy to answer," she said, stopping to think. "I guess, when you told me you got married."

Surprise registered on his features. "Really?"

"I mean, it wasn't like a _jump his bones_ kind of feeling. It was just… disappointment," she explained.

"You were disappointed that I got married?" He couldn't help but feel a hint of guilt.

"Disappointed that you were off the market, followed by intense relief that you weren't," she explained.

He swallowed against the lump that was forming in his throat. "That's recent."

"Yeah, I guess it is." She let out a breath, somewhat relieved to have come clean. "Your turn."

"I still feel it, sometimes. I try not to," he told her.

"Why?" He sighed, feeling himself coming back down to Earth.

"Because you're my closest friend, and the thought of messing that up is really not okay with me." His voice was quiet, timid.

Lorelai frowned. "So you wouldn't ever act on your feelings?"

"Isn't it my turn for a follow-up?"

"Just answer the question," she pushed.

He watched her intently for a moment, trying to read her body language, but she was incredibly guarded. He chanced a response. "Do you want me to act on them?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

Luke felt the lump in his throat crash down to his stomach, leaving it twisting cruelly.

"Well then, where does that leave us?" he asked hesitantly.

"I don't know," she said again. Her gaze dropped to her hands in her lap. Luke took a deep breath, hoping to calm his frayed nerves, but there was no use. He glanced back at the television where Humphrey and Ingrid were frozen in time.

"We could just watch the movie," he offered her an out, which she quickly rejected.

"I don't want to watch the movie."

"Then what do you want?" he asked softly. She looked back up at him, a little more sure.

"I want to keep talking," she said.

"That's risky," he told her.

"Why?"

"You know why," he said, frustration clipping his tone. She watched him quietly for a moment before voicing her next thought.

"Do you want me right now?"

Luke ignored the alarm bells going off in his head, opting to answer her truthfully. "Yes."

"In what way?" she asked.

"In every way," he told her. Lorelai met his gaze as she turned this information over in her head.

"Can I ask you one more question?" she asked. Luke nodded. "Do you think we'd be good together?" she asked. Luke's brow furrowed, trying to suss out the connotation of her question.

"In what way?" he asked, to be safe. Lorelai eyes widened as she ran the question through in her mind.

"Oh, that sounded dirty, didn't it?"

"Extremely," Luke chuckled, relieved at the slight ease of the tension. Lorelai shared his amusement, just briefly, before rephrasing her question.

"I just meant, as a couple. Do you think it would work?"

"I think we could make it work," he admitted. "But I'm worried about what happens if we don't."

"Me too," she agreed. She caught his eye, meaningfully. "I don't want to lose you, Luke."

"I can't lose you, Lorelai." She could hear the tinge of emotion in his voice, and knew that he was struggling to maintain his composure. That was fair, she supposed. She was in much the same boat.

They had said so much – admitted to things they had kept hidden for so many years. It was time to decide whether they could continue putting this off for the sake of their friendship, or if they just needed to take a chance and let chips fall where they may.

She'd never been one to risk the things that mattered to her. This just seemed inevitable. Their friendship couldn't stop the tide from coming in, and she wasn't sure she wanted to try and hold it back anymore.

When she finally spoke again, she did so slowly, taking the time to enunciate every word. "I don't want to let fear stop us from doing what we both want to do."

"I've let it win this long. I can probably go a while longer," Luke hedged.

"But do you want to?" she asked, nervously. He shook his head.

"Not really."

"Then, I guess I'm all out of questions," she concluded.

"Thank God," he said in an exhale. The pair watched each other from where they sat on the couch, neither moving a muscle. Lorelai saw his eyes dart down to her lips and back up again. The butterflies in her stomach kicked up a ruckus.

"Are you going to kiss me?" Her voice shook as she asked.

"I thought you were out of questions," he shot back, although his voice betrayed his own nerves.

"Luke…"

"I'm thinking about it," he interrupted.

"And?"

"Shouldn't I take you on a date first?" he asked.

Her brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Because that's how it's done," he said plainly.

"I've never been big on tradition," she argued.

"I've never done it any other way."

She grinned. "Think you're getting lucky tonight?"

"I didn't mean it that way," he said quickly, looking away. Lorelai laughed lightly, showing him she was just teasing.

"I know," she allowed. They both felt some of the tension dissipate, and Luke finally met her gaze with a small smile playing on his lips.

"Do you want me to kiss you now?" he asked, less timidly.

"Desperately."

"Well, if you're desperate." He tossed her a smirk.

"Will you shut up and kiss me, please?"

Luke closed the distance, meeting Lorelai's lips in a soft, tentative kiss. He pulled away a quickly. It took her a few seconds to open her eyes, and when she did, she fixed him with a glare.

"What the hell was that?"

"A kiss?" he asked, a little nervously.

"That's how you kiss me?" she demanded "After seven years, and all of this build-up… that's it?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to presume."

"Well aren't you the consummate gentleman," she huffed.

"What do you want, Lorelai," he questioned.

"I want you to kiss me like you mean it," she said, defiantly.

"Fine." He took her face in his hands and kissed her again, deep and long. Lorelai responded immediately, her hands grasping him by the forearms and holding him in place as she kissed him back with fervor. As he began to pull back she went with him, slinging a leg over his so she was straddling him.

The kisses came hot and heavy as Luke's arms wound around Lorelai's body, trapping her against him like steel girders. She moaned into his mouth and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue between her lips, tasting her for the first time. Lorelai's tongue slipped around his as they duelled for dominance over the kiss. She knocked his hat off his head and tangled her hands in his hair, holding his mouth to hers, unwilling to break their connection.

Lorelai's legs slipped open wider and her hips made contact with his. She could feel him becoming hard in his jeans.

"Lorelai," Luke whispered in between passionate kisses. His hands swept down her back, coming to rest on her hips and pulling her against him, pushing his hips upward to meet her. Lorelai moaned into his mouth, feeling a buzzing of pleasure beginning between her legs.

Lorelai's lips left Luke's in search of the stubbled skin of his neck. She peppered kisses along the way before taking up residence over his pulse-point, sucking at the skin there, finding it sweet and salty. She inhaled deeply and hummed at his scent.

"Mmm, you smell good," she moaned in between kisses. Luke chuckled, his tone low and gritty.

"I smell like the diner," he informed her. She pulled away to meet his gaze.

"That's like one my top five favourite smells," she informed him. He rolled his eyes good naturedly, a smile playing on his lips. Lorelai ground down a little harder and his eyes fluttered before opening back up.

"God, you feel good," he told her. She grinned and ground down hard again, putting her hands on his shoulders to give her leverage as she set up a steady rhythm, re-enforced by his firm grip on her hips. They watched each other intently as they moved, eyes heavy with arousal, but refusing to break the gaze.

"Ung, Luke," Lorelai said, feeling another shot of desire course through her. "I want you."

"I want you too. You have no idea how much I want you," Luke ground out, pushing up to meet her. She leaned in and kissed him again, only to have him react more forcefully than expected. His hands left her hips and groped for her hair, holding her to him as his tongue swept insistently into her mouth. Her hips stilled as all focus went to the searing kiss, tongues battling in her mouth as she fought the urge to suck his deeper inside. She wanted any and all of him. No connection had ever felt so real, so personal.

She pulled away, just enough to meet his gaze. "Upstairs," she said, firmly. It wasn't a question. The pair fumbled off the sofa and ran for the stairs, Lorelai pulling Luke along by the hand.

They made it to the first landing when Luke turned her around and backed her into the wall, his hands grasping her shirt at the waist as he kissed her again. His whole body made contact with hers, and it was all she could do to raise her hands over her head as her shirt was pulled upward. Luke stepped back to yank the offending garment off before diving back in for another kiss, and then migrating south to kiss her neck and the newly exposed skin of her shoulders.

Lorelai's hands tangled in his hair as he went lower, his lips teasing the skin above her lacy black bra, hands groping up her sides and coming to rest just below the soft curves of her breasts.

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai exhaled, wanting, needing him to go further. She could have cried from relief when he pulled the cup off one of her breasts and replaced it with his tongue, slipping circles around her hardened nipple, then taking it in his mouth to suck the sensitive nub. She moaned as his other hand teased her still-covered breast, tweaking and circling it through the thin material. She wanted this, and so much more.

Luke pulled back and looked down at her, his eyes clouded with arousal.

"Upstairs?" he asked. Lorelai nodded, wordlessly, but didn't move from where he had planted her. Instead, she reached for the buttons on his shirt and began fumbling her way down the line. She was halfway through when Luke grabbed both his undershirt and flannel and whipped them over his head, tossing them over the railing into the front hallway.

Lorelai looked over his form, finding herself nearly salivating at the skin he had exposed. His chest was broad and dusted with fine, dark hair. His arms were muscular, long and lean. She wanted to lick every part of him, and wondered briefly if he would stay put so she could do just that.

"Upstairs," she said, once again. She made a break for the next set of stairs before her mind could be changed. She needed to get to their final location, or else there was a good chance Rory would walk in after her date and be confronted with Luke's bare ass as he railed Mommy. Not a great way to break the news of their evolving relationship.

Luke followed Lorelai closely, just a step behind, as she ascended the stairs. She reached behind her and unhooked her bra, tossing it down the steps as she went, desperate to get to the main event. At this point, she was pretty sure she would spontaneously combust if she didn't have Luke buried inside of her within a matter of minutes.

As they made it to her bedroom, her pants had been undone, and she was frantically shoving them off her hips, along with her Hello Kitty underwear. Luke stopped in the doorway and took in the sight of her fully undressed, his mouth dropping open at the vision before him.

Lorelai stepped into his body, her hands finding his chest. She caught his eye as she stroked downward slowly, sensually, until her hands found the clasp on his leather belt. Luke swallowed heavily as her gaze then followed the path her hands had taken, and she began working on getting him out of his pants, finally.

He let them fall to his ankles in a heap, and did nothing to stop her as she pushed his boxers down to join them.

When she looked back up at him, he could see pure want reflected in her eyes. It was enough to push him into action, as he claimed her mouth again, quickly becoming addicted to her kisses. He stepped out of his jeans and shorts, toed off his socks and backed her up until her knees hit the bed. Lorelai went down first, and Luke quickly followed.

The pair made their way to the pillows before their lips connected again, briefly. Luke pushed Lorelai down into the mattress and hovered over her, resting on his elbow beside her and allowing a hand to run over her body. She shuddered under his feather light touch as his fingertips swept over one breast, then the other, circling her nipples as he went. Then lower, over her ribs and abdomen, teasing her belly button, and then sliding into the dark curls between her legs.

Lorelai let her legs fall open, silently granting permission for him to explore further. Without another word, Luke leaned down and sucked her nipple into his mouth as his middle finger slipped inside of her. In the silence of the room, Lorelai could hear just how wet she was as Luke extracted his finger and pushed it in again, this time joined by his index finger. She groaned as he set up a moderate pace, while his thumb came up to circle her clit in time.

Lorelai's eyes fluttered closed as Luke brought her body to life with his mouth and hand. She could live in this feeling, she was sure, but with every passing second, her need grew more and more acute. She had to know what he felt like.

"Luke," she whispered, her voice thick with desire. "I need you, now."

Luke placed a kiss to the breast he had been working on, just above the nipple, and let his hand slip out of her heat. As he got into position, he spread her wetness over his erection, making him slick as he placed himself at her opening.

Lorelai inhaled sharply as he sunk into her. She could feel her walls stretching to accommodate his size, not uncomfortably. When he was finally fully sheathed, he waited, and she idly thought that she had never felt so full, and not just in the physical sense.

Luke held himself over her on his forearms as he pulled out slowly, and then sank back inside. Lorelai sought to steady her breathing as he moved, wanting to really experience all of the sensations his motions brought with them, not wanting to get lost in the absolute pleasure that threatened to consume her over stimulated body at any moment.

"Luke," his name left her lips in a breath. He leaned down at captured her lips for the hundredth, or thousandth time that night, both needing to feel that incredible connection at every point. He sped up his pace as their tongues moved in tandem, his hips crashing into hers every time he filled her to the hilt.

She knew she wouldn't last long as her hips began moving up to meet each of his thrusts. She grabbed him by the hips, and felt every movement from the inside out, loving the experience of this man, her friend, confidant, and now lover, claiming her over and over again.

When she finally flew over the edge, it was a long and sustained climax that burned through her, leaving her crying out into their kisses and tingling from head to toe. Luke pulled his lips away from hers to watch the aftershocks. Her eyes were too heavy to keep open, so she let them close. Her breaths came in hard puffs from her parted lips. Her face was contorted in pleasure. It was all so beautiful, so erotic, that he had no choice but to follow her into the abyss.

Lorelai could feel Luke tensing on top of her, hard grunts coming from his chest, the heat between her legs overflowing as he filled her with his release. She wanted to watch him come apart, but she couldn't pry her eyes open, they were too heavy.

When he finished, she felt him slide out of her and fall to her side. She went willingly as he pulled her into his chest, and let her head rest on his broad shoulder. The last sound she heard as glorious and well-earned sleep began to overtake her was the hideous blaring of her alarm.

Lorelai startled awake. Her hand came down to silence the awful buzzing noise a little harder than absolutely necessary. She blinked, trying to see in the pitch-dark of her room, and turned to her clock. It was 4:30 in the morning, and she was alone.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, only to be assaulted by images from the dream she'd been having. It was so realistic, she could hardly believe it hadn't really happened.

She pushed herself up and kicked the twisted sheets off her feet, slipping out of bed and padding out of the room. As she descended the stairs, she could make out a large lump on the couch, a low, steady snore emanating from the mass.

Luke was still there. He had fallen asleep during _Hard Bodies_ and she didn't have the heart to wake him. Instead, she set her own alarm for 4:30 a.m. so she could get him up on time for work.

She watched his sleeping form for a long minute, the memories of her dream assaulting her. It left her with an overwhelming feeling of disappointment to know that what her mind conjured wasn't reality – a knowledge that left her confused and frustrated. Although it wasn’t her first sexual dream starring the Diner Man, it was one of the most intense and realistic, and one of the few that left her wanting more upon waking up.

She sighed and stepped forward, giving Luke's shoulder a shake.

"Hey, Luke," she whispered. He startled a little and looked up at her. It was clear he was confused.

"Lorelai?"

"Time to get up, Sleeping Beauty," she told him. He pushed himself up and looked around, getting his bearings. She watched as recollection dawned on his features.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"A little after 4:30." He sighed and grabbed the blanket, tossing it over the back of the couch.

"Thanks for waking me up," he said, gratefully. He got to his feet and stretched his arms over his head, wincing. "Ugh, I'm too old to sleep on the couch," he groaned.

"I would've let you share my bed, but you were dead to the world," she joked lightly, hoping he couldn't hear the spark of truth in her statement. He smiled down at her, sleepily.

"Now that, I would have woken up for," he teased back. He nodded toward the door. "I should get going."

"Yeah, sure," Lorelai said, distractedly. She followed Luke to the entryway and watched him don his shoes and pluck his keys from his pocket.

"Thanks for letting me crash," he said. "And, you know, for putting up with me. I know I've been a little cranky these last few days."

"You're always cranky," she informed him. He huffed a small laugh. "Seriously, Luke. It's no problem. You're always welcome here, you know that."

"Yeah, well. Thanks anyway." He pulled opened the door and turned back to her. "I'll see you in a few hours?" She smiled.

"I'm gonna need lots of coffee after the 4:30 wake-up call." He nodded.

"I'll make it strong for you. Bye, Lorelai." He stepped out and headed down the porch steps. Lorelai watched from the door as he got in his truck and started it up, only closing it when he pulled out of the driveway.

She sighed and turned back to the stairs, hoping to get a few more winks in before she had to get up for the day. She idly hoped for a dreamless sleep, if only to avoid the emotions that came with the other kind. It was too damn early to open that can of worms.


	5. Why Do You Care?

**Why Do You Care?**

**Inspired by Episode 4.11 - In the Clamor and the Clangor**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _God, these things are heavy. Don't you have a smaller toolbox?  
 **LUKE:** No, why would I have two toolboxes?  
 **LORELAI:** 'Cause then you'd have a big one and a small one.  
 **LUKE:** Well, if you have a big one you don't need a small one. Don't say 'dirty', it's too easy._

**Description: Lorelai finds herself fantasizing about the diner man's assets.**

* * *

Lorelai climbed into bed late that night. After she and Luke were busted by Reverend Skinner in their efforts to break the bells, the wind had gone out of both of their sails. They were fighting about Nicole, again. Or maybe they weren't fighting about Nicole. Maybe they were fighting about _them_. That nagging, ever-present question of _them_.

Lorelai couldn't count the times she had told people that she and Luke were "just friends". It was such a practiced phrase that it just rolled off her tongue now. She was always defending that status, to Sookie, to her mother, to Max. Even Jason had asked about him once, although thankfully he had more or less accepted her answer without further discussion.

She got why people were skeptical. She and Luke were good friends, and friendships between men and women often brought up those questions. She couldn't lie and say she hadn't thought about it. Of course she had, she was a woman with a pulse, and Luke was handsome in his own ruggedly sexy, lumberjack, _Call of the Wild_ kind of way. If her dream world had anything to say about it, she’d be rolling in the hay with him on the regular.

But she didn't want him like that – not in real life. And besides, he was with Nicole. He was _married_ to Nicole. She couldn't have him if she wanted him. Which she didn't. She definitely, definitely did not.

What bothered her tonight was that she felt like she was defending herself again, this time to Luke, of all people. Luke was supposed to be in this with her, the one person who she could rely on not to ask those questions, and to soundly refute them when they came up.

But tonight he seemed to be asking her to confirm for him what he should already know — that she didn't have feelings for him. He didn't say it in so many words, but she knew that's where he was heading when the Reverend happened upon them. Excellent timing that man had; he saved Lorelai from having to go through the rigmarole again. She should be thankful for that.

She thought back on the fight they were having when they were supposed to be breaking the bells. Luke was asking her why she cared if he moved to Litchfield. How could she _not_ care? He was one of her best friends and for as long as she had known him, he had lived five minutes away. Now all of a sudden he was in another township. The thought of Luke without of Stars Hollow boggled the mind.

Or was it the thought of Stars Hollow without Luke that bothered her?

It didn't matter, she decided. It all felt wrong, so she cared. _Of course_ she cared. He would care too if she just up and moved without a word – and not only because the bottom line at the diner would take a hit. He would miss her.

She hoped he would miss her, anyway. Maybe he wouldn't. Maybe that was the lesson she was supposed to be learning here – that she cared way more than he did.

She frowned at that thought. He always seemed to care so much about her. Was it possible that they were drifting apart? Was he pushing her away? Was Nicole making him?

She sighed and closed her eyes, wanting to sleep, but the conversation from earlier kept playing in her head on a loop.

_"You know, none of this is any of your business."_

_"It's absolutely my business."_

_"How?"_

_"Because! I wasted a week of my life adjusting to the idea that you had moved only to find out that you haven't moved."_

_"How much adjusting did you have to do? Nothing's changed! I still see you every day, I still cook your food, I still serve your coffee. What do you care?"_

_"I care."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I don't want you to move."_

_"Why? Why don't you want me to move?"_

Lorelai huffed a breath and turned over onto her side, hoping the memories would go away.

 _'Why don't you want me to move?'_ his voice came again.

"Why don't I want you to move?" Lorelai questioned out loud into the darkness of her room. She felt tears prick at the back of her eyes.

"He's still here," she reasoned with herself. She shook her head. "He's not here though. He's there."

 _There with her_ , came the voice in her head. She tried to ignore that, in favour of parsing through those words.

 _Why_ did she care?

Why _did_ she care?

Why did _she_ care?

Why did she _care?_

Different emphasis, same answer. She cared because Luke was important to her, and it was just that simple.

She tried to shake that part of the conversation out of her head, instead choosing to focus on the banter that had preceded the ugliness.

She thought about breaking into the church using her gym card. Watch out, MacGyver!

She thought about Luke's list of "do not's", which she was immediately prepared to disregard in favour of having fun at his expense.

She thought about the dirty shadow puppets she wanted to do on the wall. Luke would have hated it. It would have been hilarious.

She thought about Luke's expression when she knew one screwdriver from another. He almost looked proud. That made her smile. It took a lot to impress Luke.

Then she made a quip about his toolbox and he scolded her, and for a moment she was able to forget that they were mad at each other.

_"God, these things are heavy. Don't you have a smaller toolbox?"_

_"No, why would I have two toolboxes?"_

_"'Cause then you'd have a big one and a small one."_

_"Well, if you have a big one you don't need a small one. Don't say 'dirty', it's too easy."_

She chuckled to herself. She loved when Luke teed her up for those. She loved that he knew what she was going to say before she said it. She loved the mental image of his _big one_.

 _WHOA!_ the voice in her head scolded her. It might as well have been droning, "Danger, Will Robinson," catching her before her thoughts could slide into treacherous territory.

She flopped onto her back again, pushing away the memory.

It was always hot and cold like this with Luke. One moment they were teasing and tormenting each other like always, and the next they were in the deep end, treading water, trying desperately to swim back to safety.

_Why do you care?_

The question taunted her. She frowned into the darkness, wishing there was someone there to talk to, to help her sort out her feelings.

She thought back to Luke. Maybe she did just need to let herself think about these things, to find out the answer to the eternal question.

"I mean, he's Luke," she said out loud to nobody. "He's my friend. He's kind. He fixes things around the house without being asked. He takes care of my daughter. He makes me coffee. Of course I care. He's a great friend."

She sat with her list for a minute, attempting to convince herself that it was complete, but that nagging voice kept coming.

_He's sweet. He takes care of you too, not just Rory. He looks at you like you're the only woman in the world. When he touches you, it's electric. He's beautiful, sexy, handsome and gruff. You can't stop thinking about the way he would feel..._

"Stop it," Lorelai whispered to herself.

_He stays open late for you. He lets you get away with all kinds of crap that would get anyone else thrown out. He comes to you for advice. Sometimes he actually listens to your advice. Did I mention he's beautiful? Because he's so beautiful._

"For the love of God, shut up," she spoke aloud.

_He makes you tingle. He makes you **want**. He drives you to distraction._

"Enough."

_He's tall. His shoulders are so broad and strong. He could probably throw you around, take you in every way possible._

"Jesus Christ, Lorelai, get it together," she mumbled.

_And don't forget about his **toolbox**_ **.** _He's got a big one. You know he does._

"Oh come on now, I don't know anything about that," she argued with herself.

_You've snuck a peek a time or two. You've seen him in sweat pants. You know what he's packing._

"Knock it off."

_It would feel so good to sink down on that thing, to ride him._

"Why won't you stop?" she pled.

 _Why do you care? You don't have feelings for him_ , _so it doesn't matter. You can fantasize. Doesn't mean anything to you._

"He's my friend. It's not right."

_He's a man. He's **all** **man**. What's the harm?_

Lorelai sighed deeply and closed her eyes, willing the voice to stop, willing sleep to come, but she was assaulted by images of Luke that her evil, uncooperative brain had conjured.

She could feel herself becoming wet at the thought of him, something she tried very hard not to do, but she was powerless to stop it from happening. Her brain was working against her, and it was all she could do to keep from reaching between her legs to relieve some of the tension that was building there.

_So do it. Touch yourself. Pretend it's him._

"I don't want to pretend," Lorelai said aloud. Her eyes popped open – she had surprised herself. "I mean, I don't want to pretend it's _Luke_. I want to think about Jason. My boyfriend. Jason," she backtracked, as if she was having an argument with another person.

_You're such a liar._

Lorelai heaved a deep breath and let it out, willing herself to move past this momentary lapse, but the images of Luke kept assaulting her.

_Lorelai was laying naked in her bed when Luke entered her room. He was stripping off his clothes slowly, revealing the expanse of his chest, then his muscular legs. His erection strained against his boxer-briefs begging to be revealed._

She moaned aloud.

_He came toward the bed and looked down at Lorelai. He was tall, imposing, but his eyes showed no malice. He wanted her, she could tell._

She squeezed her thighs together, seeking friction against her clit, swollen with arousal.

_Watching her intently, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his underwear and slowly pushed them down. His erection sprang free, just inches from her face._

She swallowed hard, her breathing picking up as she moved her hips.

_He reached down and took hold of himself. He was large – larger than she'd ever had before, but she wasn't intimidated. She wanted every inch of him. He squeezed and began to pump his member, and it was all Lorelai could do to keep from closing the distance and wrapping her lips around it, tasting him for the first time._

Lorelai let one hand slip into her underwear. She dipped two fingers into her core and soaked them with her own juices before bringing them to her throbbing clit.

_Luke unhanded himself and got on the bed, hovering over Lorelai on his hands and knees. Her eyes raked over his body. His chest was muscular, but not in the way you got from going to the gym. It was muscular in the way you earned from years of hard work._

_She brought her hands up to his chest to feel him, desperate to touch his skin. Her fingers raked through his chest hair and down over his nipples. The sound that came out of him as her nails dragged over the sensitive nubs was more growl than moan, and Lorelai shuddered as the sound worked its way from his vocal chords and reverberated through her entire body._

_She let her hands drift further, over the expanse of his stomach, going ever lower, dying to reach out and touch his organ that hung hard and ready between them._

Lorelai's hips moved as she picked up the pace on her clit. She claimed her bottom lip between her teeth as her breathing picked up.

_'Lorelai,' his voice was gritty and full of need. She wrapped her fingers around his member, finally, making a fist around it. Her thumb and forefinger didn't touch, he was too thick for her to make it all the way around. He warm and silky smooth, his head poked out beyond the uncut skin, straining to be tended to._

_She began to pump him, squeezing and releasing, short and long strokes. He pushed into her hand from above, and it was all she could do to stop herself from wrapping her legs around him and having him plunge deep inside of her right then and there._

"Oh," Lorelai moaned. She dipped her fingers back into her wetness to saturate them again, and returned to her clit, which demanded more attention.

 _'I want you,'_ _he told her. He was watching her so intently as she handled him. His lips were parted and his tongue darted out to wet them. She knew he was going to kiss her. God, she wanted him to kiss her._

"Oh Luke," she cried into the emptiness of her room.

_He claimed her lips with a ferocity she didn't know he possessed, and his body came in full contact with hers. She dragged her hand away from his member so she could feel the muscles working in his back as he held his large body over hers. She could feel all of his hard plains against her soft curves, and his rock-solid erection pushing sinfully against her lower abdomen. She opened her mouth to his tongue, tasting and licking him and dying for more._

_She spread her legs wide and he reached between them to place himself at her entrance. With one smooth move, he pushed inside, filling her completely._

Lorelai reached her other hand down and plunged three fingers inside of her vagina, while she continued to work dutifully over her clit. She curled her fingers against her g-spot over and over, driving herself wild with the feeling of both zones being stimulated at once.

_Luke took up a rapid pace, thrusting with abandon as his lips worked over hers. Lorelai couldn't let the kisses end, they were hypnotizing. His mouth fit hers so well and she couldn't imagine why they hadn't been doing this all along._

_She moaned into his mouth as he hit an angle that surprised her, all the while grinding his pubic bone against her clit with each downward stroke. She felt dizzy with pleasure, his body felt so good on her, in her. She was addicted._

Lorelai's breathing sped up as she felt herself nearing completion. Her fingers picked up the pace on her clit, working overtime to bring her to the brink while she fingered herself mercilessly, dying for release.

"Ung, Luke," she called into her empty room. "Fuck. Yes. Please."

_"Please, Luke. Please," she cried against his mouth. He pulled back, his eyes dark with lust._

_"Come for me, Lorelai." He pushed into her relentlessly until her whole body seized and tightened, her orgasm coming hard and heavy around his cock. She watched his expression as he came apart on top of her, her name leaving his lips like a prayer as he filled her with his release._

Lorelai's back arched against the bed as she rode out her climax, working herself over until she was sure there was nothing left. Finally, she pulled her hands away from her core. They were soaked with her juices, as were her underwear and pajama pants.

She rested her aching hands down at her sides and popped her eyes open, staring up at the ceiling as she caught her breath.

 _'Why do you care?'_ the question came again.

"Because I care," she whispered to herself. "Shit."


	6. All In

**All In**

**Inspired by Episode 5.03 – Written in the Stars**

**_LUKE:_ ** _Lorelai, this thing we're doing here – me, you – I just want you to know I'm in. I am all in. Does that, uh. Are you, uh, scared?_

**Description: Eight years of waiting culminates in a 12-hour long first date for our favourite couple.**

* * *

It started with a touch.

In the three days that Luke had been home, Lorelai hadn't touched him. After their initial almost-kiss, her nerves had kicked in. The anticipation that had built over seven weeks was now overshadowed by anxiety. It wasn't like Lorelai to be so antsy about a guy, but Luke was not _just_ a guy, and this was not _just_ a date.

She had become consumed with thoughts of their first kiss. Was it really as electric as she thought it was? Or was she just so surprised by it that her memories had turned it into something it wasn't? What if the next touch, the next kiss, didn't live up to the first? Could she take it if the spark fizzled as quickly as it came to life? Could their friendship?

It didn't help that the days between his return and their first date were some of the longest in history. Between spending quality time with Rory and working long hours at the Dragonfly, she and Luke hadn't even gotten around to talking about their long-awaited first date. It was a fluke that he asked her out on the one night she was planning to take off. It was also a fluke that she even made it into Luke's that morning, with a busy day planned getting Rory to Yale, working at the Inn, and dealing with her mother's increasing neediness since her parents' separation. Luke had somehow wedged himself in.

Not that she was complaining.

But all day, as her excitement grew, so did her anxiety. She was so ready to go out with Luke and to really be with him, but she couldn't stop those nagging thoughts from creeping in and making her doubt what she knew to be true.

It was a _great_ kiss.

But then he had gone away, and all she had was that memory. It was emblazoned on her mind like a scar. But like all scars, it faded with time and left her questioning if she was remembering every detail correctly.

They talked almost every night while he was away. They talked about their feelings for each other, how long they'd had them and what they wanted out of their relationship. They agreed that they wanted to give it a fair shot, and that they wouldn't be risking their friendship if they didn't believe it was real.

For the first time, on the phone, Lorelai heard Luke's bedroom voice; that deep gravelly tone that sent shivers up her spine and reminded her that she would soon have a physical relationship with this man. It wasn't a bad notion, by any means, just different. She was okay with different, she thought. Different with Luke would be good.

But then he came home and the awkwardness set in. She went into the diner every day for at least two meals, like she had before. They chatted amiably, but their relationship , still a secret, was rarely mentioned. Luke gave her those looks, though. The ones she had been told about all those years ago.

"Just look the guy in the eye; it's right there," Sookie had urged. And, true to her word, it was there: the admiration, the adoration. It was unguarded now, which made the butterflies go to town in Lorelai's gut, but also made her fear that she might not live up to the Lorelai he was imagining when he looked at her that way.

So tonight, after a painfully awkward drive to the restaurant, Lorelai was feeling wildly unsure.

But then she met Maisy and Buddy.

Luke relayed the story of their first meeting.

He pulled out the horoscope that he'd kept for eight years.

He said, "Lorelai, this thing we're doing here – me, you – I just want you to know I'm in. I am all in."

He was so sincere. Nervous, but incredibly sweet.

He asked her if she was scared, and she didn't know how to answer him. In truth, she _was_ scared. She was downright terrified that she might do something to ruin this relationship, which had barely even begun but was already vying to be the most important romance of her life.

She smiled at him. It was genuine, an expression of all the things she had been feeling since the kiss at the Dragonfly.

And then she touched him. Her hand covered his, and she squeezed.

Electricity.

He let out a relieved breath and a smile. She did the same. The nerves fell away.

Dinner passed more easily after that. They talked and laughed as they ate. Luke watched Lorelai amusedly as she picked off her plate, then his. They split cheesecake for dessert, which Luke ate two bites of and Lorelai polished off. Through it all, the touches continued.

Luke squeezed her hand.

Lorelai wiped a crumb off his lip.

Luke let his hand fall to her knee.

Lorelai hugged his arm playfully as she teased him and laughed.

The space between them in the booth all but disappeared.

It felt right. Real. Special. That incredible feeling of anticipation was back.

When the time came to pay the bill, they did the standard fumble for the cheque, but in the end Lorelai let Luke win. She would pay next time, she told him. He just smiled his acquiescence, pleased at the early promise of a second date.

When they made it to the truck, Luke made to open Lorelai's door, but she leaned against it, blocking it off. She took him by the jacket and pulled his body against hers, feeling those sparks hit at every point of contact.

When she kissed him, it felt exactly like their first kiss at the Dragonfly.

Luke kissed her back with reserved passion, more aware of their surroundings than she was, but still fully engrossed in the moment. She tasted like her after-dinner coffee and cheesecake, paired with strawberry lip gloss. An odd, but not off-putting cocktail.

Lorelai smiled into the kiss. Her whole body reacted to it, wanting to deepen it, to keep it going, to discover what they had been missing over the last seven-and-a-half weeks. God, she wanted to know.

When Luke pulled away, he met her gaze.

"What was that for?"

"Just got tired of waiting," she told him with a cheeky grin. Luke chuckled and she pushed herself up off the door, making room for him to pull it open for her.

**XXXX**

It was an unspoken agreement to return to the diner for a nightcap. Luke pulled the truck into the alley behind the building so they wouldn't be spotted and let her in the back door. They bypassed the staircase to his apartment, instead heading for the restaurant. The lights were off, the diner long closed. Luke flicked the switch that lit up just the area behind the counter, providing subtle mood lighting as he went about making a pot of coffee.

Lorelai slid onto the stool at the end of the counter and watched him work, smiling at the routine. There was something incredibly sexy about watching a man make coffee. It was one of her _things_. She couldn't be blamed for falling for the man who made the best coffee around.

Luke turned to her once the coffee was brewing and caught her grin.

"See something you like?" he flirted. Her grin turned sultry.

"I see a lot of somethings I like." She saw the barest flush hit his cheeks, and decided that was now one of her _things_ too, and vowed to make it happen as much as possible.

Luke leaned on his elbows on the counter, as he often did when having a private conversation while the diner was open.

"Can I tell you a secret?" he asked. Lorelai perked up.

"Oh, I love secrets."

"I've been a little nervous about tonight," he admitted, a little timidly, taking Lorelai somewhat by surprise. She felt oddly comforted knowing she wasn't the only one losing her shit.

"Well you're in good company, because I've been a basket case since you got home," she told him. He seemed relieved to hear this.

"Why were you nervous?" he asked.

"There's just been so much build-up, you know? You were gone for seven weeks, but really, it's been eight _years_."

"I know what you mean."

"But I'm glad this is happening. Really glad." At that, Luke smiled that small, genuine smile he seemed to reserve only for her.

"Me too," he agreed.

Behind him, the coffee stopped percolating. He grabbed a mug from under the counter.

"Why don't you put it in a to-go cup?" Lorelai suggested. Luke's face registered disappointment, briefly, but he recovered quickly.

"Oh, uh, sure," he stammered. "I'll give you a ride home."

"Oh, no," she said quickly, realizing now how that must have sounded. "I just mean, so I can take it upstairs. Move this shindig somewhere more comfortable." His relief was immediate and evident.

"You can take a mug upstairs, you know," he said, biting back a smile as he filled the paper cup.

"I'll remember that for next time." Luke snapped a lid on the cup and handed it to her. He nodded toward the curtain.

"Lead the way." Lorelai slid off the stool, coffee in hand, and made for the stairs, adding a little sway to her hips as she went to make sure Luke's eyes were _precisely_ where she wanted them to be.

Luke opened the apartment door and made plenty of room for Lorelai to go ahead inside, but she brushed against him anyway as she slipped by. She figured there was a time and place for subtlety, but for her first time with Luke, she wanted to absolutely clear. She wanted him, and she was leaving little room for doubt.

She headed for the living room and Luke followed closely, angling himself on the couch to face her and resting an arm over the back behind her.

Lorelai took a long drink of her coffee and moaned with barely contained sensuality.

"God, that's good. I think you make the best coffee I've ever had."

"I guess I've got that going for me," he said, amusedly.

"You've got more than that going for you. Trust me." She surveyed him for a moment and set her cup down on the table. "You look really nice tonight."

He smiled. "Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah. Don't get me wrong, the backwards cap and flannel is a classic and will _never_ go out of style, but you kind of pull off the sexy date thing too."

"You look pretty good yourself," he told her, letting her catch him looking. To punctuate his point, he began running his fingers through her hair affectionately.

"Good how?" she teased. Luke grinned, recalling their conversation from so many years ago. Back then, he had been afraid to say how he felt, as had she. Tonight, the walls were down.

"Beautiful. Gorgeous. Perfect. Take your pick," he offered.

"Ooh, I like 'perfect'. That's good for the ol' ego."

"Glad I could be of service."

"You always are," she told him, before scrunching her face up. "Dirty?"

"Definitely. Makes up for mine earlier," he joked, reminding her of his 'whacking' comment during dinner. She giggled at the memory.

"Yours was worse."

"Probably," he allowed. His hand moved from her hair to stroke her face, and she leaned into it.

"Have I mentioned how happy I am to have you home?" she asked.

"A few times," he said with a smile, which she matched.

"I'm just excited to finally be here with you." She reached out and took his free hand in both of hers as his thumb swept across her cheekbone. They sunk into the moment, just touching and watching each other. It was so easy like this; easier than Lorelai ever thought it would be.

After a few minutes, she asked, "Are you going to kiss me?"

He quirked a small grin. "I was thinking about it."

"Well think faster," she teased, giving his hand a playful tug.

His thumb took another swipe along her cheekbone, and then his palm was resting flat against her cheek, holding her steady as he closed the distance and caught her lips. It was the gentlest kiss they had shared.

As their lips moved, so did Lorelai's hand, stroking from where she'd been holding Luke's hand up his muscular forearm and bicep, finally coming to rest on his shoulder. Luke took advantage of the change to move his free hand to her waist, pulling her imperceptibly closer.

Lorelai opened Luke's mouth with hers and flicked her tongue along his bottom lip. His darted out and they tangled easily just inside of his mouth. Luke angled his head to take their connection deeper, fusing their mouths more soundly. The first moan came from his throat.

Lorelai pushed herself up onto her knees to get closer to him, never breaking their connection. Luke let her steer him backward until he was laying on the sofa, while she laid on top of him. In this new position, he let his hands wander over her body the way he had been wanting to for so long. With open palms, he felt every inch of her back, grazed her denim-clad backside, down to her thighs and back. She felt so good against him, it was nearly impossible to keep from grabbing and groping. But to start, he was content with just feeling. She felt so good.

Lorelai was not unaware of the hardness growing between her and Luke. In this position, their hips were in full contact and it was impossible to ignore.

When she pushed down into him, Luke's hands took a more purposeful path, claiming her ass and pulling her into him as he thrust upward.

Lorelai moaned into his mouth, still kissing him deeply. She was intoxicated by the feelings he was creating within her and between them as they began to heat up.

Luke left one hand on her ass and brought the other back up, tangling his fingers in her hair and holding her face to his as he kissed her deeply, with every ounce of passion he had been reserving over the past seven weeks. There was no question that he wanted her, and he was finally able to show her.

Lorelai broke the kiss and pulled away, somewhat breathless. She created enough space that she could see him in the dimly lit room. His lips were parted, breaths coming in short puffs as he attempted to still the grinding of their hips, though not doing a very thorough job of it.

"Bed?" Lorelai asked. Luke swallowed hard and nodded, not trusting himself with words.

Lorelai kissed him again soundly, and the pair got lost in another round of making out before they were able to fully disentangle and get up off the couch.

Once they were on their feet, Luke did the thing he had been dying to do all night. He wrapped his fingers around the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing for the first time her lacy cream-coloured bra. Lorelai smiled as his eyes raked over the newly revealed skin, and she took advantage of his distraction and began unbuttoning his shirt. Once that was lost, their pants, socks and shoes quickly followed.

Luke led Lorelai to his bed – a newly purchased queen-sized – and eased her down into the pillows, resting on top of her for the first time. He kissed her again, not able to get enough of the way she tasted and how her lips moved against his in just the right way. Feeling her body under his, separated only by the thin layers of their underwear, was almost too much to bear. It took every ounce of his self control not to pull her underwear aside and plunge himself deep inside of her then and there.

Lorelai wasn't in much better shape, as she spread her legs wide and made room for Luke between them. His lips were on hers in seconds and the combination of his hardness against her centre, his skin against hers, and the taste of his tongue nearly had her coming apart before they even started.

Luke finally began moving lower. He wasn't tired of her lips – not by a long shot – but he needed more of her. He had dreamed of this for so long, he couldn't go any longer without tasting her silky skin.

His lips descended on her neck, and Lorelai let out a long, deep breath that barely concealed a moan. She was so ready for him, so eager. Every move he made was only serving to further the intensity of her need.

As he kissed her neck, and then lower, she had to close her eyes to get her bearings, or she would lose all control. Things were so heated between them. They were so immediately in sync. She wasn't prepared to feel so instantly connected to Luke. She'd never had a first time like this before.

When Luke reached her lace-covered breasts, he kissed along the exposed skin while palming her through the fabric. Lorelai wished it away, would have wiggled her nose or blinked it out of existence if she was a witch or a genie. But alas, all she could do was wait. Wait for Luke to take the next step, to reveal her to him for the first time.

Luke pulled the cup down off one breast, and immediately laved her pert nipple with affection. He moaned around it, his tongue flicking against the sensitive bud as he got a taste for it. He did the same with the other before finally reaching underneath Lorelai's arched back and releasing the clasp. When he pulled her bra away, he sat back and took in the vision before him, his eyes clouded with desire. He looked up at Lorelai to find her watching him with much the same expression.

He moved lower and pulled her underwear off, needing to see her in full, finally.

She was beautiful. He told her so.

Lorelai smiled and reached out for him, and he returned to her, kissing her soundly, bringing their naked chests together for the first time and revelling in the feeling of being skin on skin.

"Now, Luke," Lorelai whispered in between kisses. He dipped in for another before pulling back and finally discarding his boxers, the last remaining barrier. He didn't miss the grin on Lorelai's lips as she appraised him. He couldn't deny that it was good for the ego to see the way her gaze darkened and her lips parted at the sight.

He returned to her and took his place over her, ready to push in when some semblance of reason returned.

"Are you, uh… do we need a condom?" he stumbled. Lorelai laughed lightly at his discomfort, but just shook her head.

"We're good," she assured him. Trusting her completely, Luke kissed her again and situated himself at her opening.

Luke held himself up on his elbows, his hands under her shoulders and hers on his biceps. They watched each other as he slid inside of her, eyes locked as they experienced that first moment of total connection. He took a few short thrusts before finally coming to rest deep inside of her, her brow furrowing slightly as she accepted his size and became comfortable with the feeling of being totally filled. He waited for her to let him know when she was ready for more.

Her brow smoothed out and a smile came to her lips. She jutted her chin forward, and he leaned down to kiss her again softly. Then he moved.

Luke set up a moderate but steady pace to start. They were both so pent up that he knew it wouldn't take much to push himself over the edge, and he hoped she was right there with him. No matter what, he needed to see her go first.

Lorelai began pushing her hips up to meet his thrusts, moaning each time his pubic bone grinded against her sensitive clit. The combination of sensations was incredible, and after the build-up to this moment, she knew she wouldn't last long. It was all so sensual, so sexy, and she was so, so ready for him. He felt unlike anyone she'd ever been with, and not just because he was bigger. Not just because his chest was broader, and his arms were stronger. It was him, and her, and the realization of years of desire.

"Luke," his name left her lips in a breath as her moans began to come in earnest. Deciding he was doing something right, he shifted to grind more firmly against her clit with each thrust, doubling the pressure while picking up the pace. She was slick enough that he could move in and out with ease, but also in such a way that made it nearly impossible for him to maintain his composure.

When Lorelai began to feel that familiar tingle, she knew without a doubt that her climax would be powerful. The tingles began in her centre and worked their way outward until even her fingers and toes were alight with the sensation.

As she fell over the edge, her body seized and she squeezed Luke tightly, inside and out. He picked up the pace and hit her deep with each thrust as she went through it, only serving to increase the intensity of her orgasm. He watched her, from his position above her, as she came apart, her eyes clenching, her mouth agape, a gasp leaving her lips along with his name.

The sight and the feeling was more than enough to make Luke lose whatever last shred of control he had managed to hold onto. He thrust hard as he was overcome, burying his head in the crook of her neck as he rode it out, deep grunts coming from him as he released inside of her.

Lorelai wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly to her as he breathed heavily against her chest. They took several minutes to compose themselves, while Luke's waning member remained shallowly inside of her spent core.

When he finally raised his head, he caught her smiling up at him – a satisfied, sexy smile that he was determined to see again.

He kissed her softly, lips teasing over hers just for a moment before he pulled away and rolled off to the side. Lorelai followed him immediately, sidling up against him and slinging an arm and a leg over him, her head resting on the shoulder of his outstretched arm.

She kissed his chest and closed her eyes. For moments longer, no words were spoken. She didn't know what to say, and he was perfectly happy sitting in the pocket of their contentment. He didn't know if he believed in perfect moments, but this one was pretty damn close.

**XXXX**

"I can't believe you kept that horoscope."

The pair had taken some time to come down from their initial heights, settling into some light making out, paired with gentle caresses and lingering glances. The conversation was sparse, but enough that Luke knew Lorelai was still very much _Lorelai_ , unchanged by the new developments in their relationship.

After about half an hour in bed, they had gotten up to rehydrate. That's when Lorelai found the bottle of wine in the fridge and insisted on bringing it back to bed with them. Luke tried to get her to agree to use glasses, but she was unconvinced.

He let her take the bottle, and they each took turns swigging from it as they settled back into the bed, Luke sitting up against the mountain of pillows and Lorelai settled in at his side.

"You're just lucky I never clean out my wallet," Luke said. Lorelai shot him an amused glare.

"You can't take it back now. You've exposed yourself. You've been pining for me."

He chuckled. "I have not been pining."

"I'm your Ava Gardner."

"God help me." He took a deep breath and let it out, before moving on to the next item of business. "Okay. Let's get something out of the way right now." He reached over to his nightstand and retrieved a pad of paper and a pencil.

"What? What are you doing?" Lorelai asked.

"Tell me what CD's to get so I don't have to hear about it." She looked up at him with an adoring grin.

"Seriously?"

"And skip any '80s groups where the guys dressed up like pirates. I draw the line at pirates." The pair shared a laugh and Lorelai dropped a kiss to his bare shoulder.

"This has been a really great first date."

"It only took us eight years to get here," he told her, leaning in to kiss her again. She met him for two brief kisses, but cut him off before they could get carried away again. She tapped on the pad, returning their focus to the task at hand.

"Okay. So, U2, right?" Luke began.

"Yeah, Bono is a must, and Blondie and, um, ooh, Sparks, especially the new one, plus Bowie."

"Okay, I know he dressed up like a pirate," Luke cut her off. She shook her head, as if the suggestion was absurd.

"Space man," she corrected.

"Space man I can deal with," Luke agreed, writing the name down.

"We need the Bangles too. And Madonna, circa _Like a Virgin_."

"What about the Cranberries?" Luke posed. Lorelai raised an eyebrow.

"You know who the Cranberries are?"

"Believe it or not, I do occasionally listen to the radio."

"Yeah but how long has it been since you listened to anything other than classic rock?"

Luke paused a moment, before returning to his pad of paper. "A while," he admitted. Lorelai giggled and poked him in the side, which he shied away from. She gasped.

"Don't tell me you're ticklish," she said with barely contained excitement.

"Of course not," he said firmly. She poked him again and he swerved to avoid the intrusion. "Stop it."

"Oh my god, Luke is ticklish!" she exclaimed. He sighed and put the pen and paper on his bedside table, turning toward her so he could ward off further attacks.

"See this is why you don't tell people you're ticklish, because they use that information against you," he grumbled. She went at his midsection and he grabbed her by the wrists, pushing her onto her back and taking his place on top of her. "You're asking for it," he warned.

"Asking for what?" she said through giggles. Luke transferred both of her wrists to one hand while he brought his other down to her side. Her eyes opened wide. "Don't you dare," she warned, struggling against his grip. He raised an eyebrow.

"Not so fun when the shoe's on the other foot." She tugged hard and a wrist came loose. Luke grabbed it and pinned it again. Their lips were a hair's breadth apart as he hovered over her. She writhed underneath of him, knowingly teasing him, delighted to feel his erection stirring between them.

"Careful," Luke threatened. "Might get the wrong idea."

"What would be the wrong idea?" she questioned. She met his gaze with one of her own, as if challenging him to act.

He ground down against her core, finding her slick. Her mouth dropped open at the contact of his hardness against her clit, teasing her.

His mouth was on hers before she could fully react to the stimulation. He kissed her hard as he held her wrists to the mattress on either side of her head, leaving her dizzy with desire.

He moved lower quickly, not spending too much time on their kisses. It was clear, as he unhanded her wrists, that he had another destination in mind. He kissed down her body, his mouth covering a nipple and grazing his teeth along it until just the hardened bud was between his teeth. He flicked his tongue against it, eliciting a soft gasp from Lorelai's lips. He tweaked her other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. His actions were rougher than the first go around, and Lorelai couldn't find it within herself to complain. She wanted to know all aspects of Luke's sexuality, and she couldn't deny that this one was totally working for her.

When he moved lower still, he brought the blanket with him, revealing her naked body once again to the warm air of the room. Her legs were spread around him, but he pushed them even further apart, settling in between them and bringing his tongue to her clit.

The first time he made contact, Lorelai breathed in deeply and held it, if only to contain the gasp that wanted to escape her. His second lick had that breath leaving her in a _whoosh_ , along with a deep, lingering moan that held steady as he sucked her clit into his mouth, teasing it between his lips and with quick flicks of his tongue.

As Luke laved her centre with attention, Lorelai found herself lost in a sea of her of muddled thoughts. Thoughts of Luke and what he was doing to her at the forefront, but thoughts of her other sexual experiences as well. She'd never been with a man who initiated oral sex without her asking, or without seeking permission first. There was something about Luke taking the initiative that made her feel comfortable with him in a way that was unparalleled. She knew in this moment, without question, that this man could do just about anything he wanted with her. She trusted him. He would never do her harm.

She couldn't focus too much on those thoughts, though, as he slipped two fingers into her heat and set up a quick pace to match the work his tongue was doing on her clit. He was so good at this. Better than she'd ever experienced before, and he was bringing her up quick.

She began to move her hips against his mouth, riding his fingers and grinding into his tongue as he flattened it against her, providing the most incredible friction. She was seconds away from the edge. She just needed a little bit more to take her there.

When Luke curled his fingers inside of her, she was officially gone. She cried out, loud, his name falling from her lips as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. With his fingers and tongue, he milked her through it until she came all the way down, breathing heavily and mewling against the pillows. Luke pushed himself up onto his knees and wiped his chin as he took in the vision before him.

If this was how Lorelai responded to oral, he was pretty sure he'd be willing to set up shop and live between her legs. She was a sight to behold.

Lorelai gestured lazily for him to come back and join her, which he did, a smug grin on his lips. She kissed him soundly, tasting herself on him. He kissed her back, taking her lead, unsure of whether it was something she would be comfortable with. He got his answer when she licked the seam of his lips, and delved her tongue into his waiting mouth.

He wasn't sure what was sexier – Lorelai coming on his fingers, or Lorelai getting off on her own flavour on his tongue. Either way, he was fresh out of complaints.

He let her push him onto his back as their kisses became more heated, although he was a little surprised when she straddled him, having been pretty exhausted from her orgasm. He didn't expect her to bounce back so quickly. But Lorelai, it seemed, was full of surprises.

Luke let her explore his body, content to lay back as her lips left his and moved down his chest. She tweaked one of his nipples and ran her tongue over the other on her way down, finally coming to settle over his erection. Luke bit back the urge to tell her not to worry about it. It was something he did with other women when he felt they were reciprocating out of obligation, not genuine desire. But all he had to do was see the confident look on Lorelai's face to know that she was only doing what she wanted. Being with a woman who genuinely wanted to go down on him was a huge turn-on.

Lorelai took his member in both hands and held the base while pumping the top. He was large in her hands and she wanted to give his entire sex the attention it deserved. She soon replaced her hand at the top with her mouth, opening wide around the tip and taking him in an inch at a time. Part of her was curious. Curious to see how much she could take. Curious to see how Luke would react. Curious to know which of her tricks would make him see stars.

Luke groaned as he watched her take him in. She got about halfway down before retreating, realizing that was the deepest she could go. She took him in again, a little less, and this time she sucked on her way back, eliciting a moan. Luke watched her intently as her tongue slipped out and wound circles around his head, and her hand began to pump at the base. She took him in again and repeated the process – dip, suck, lick – over and over again until he was panting above her.

"Lorelai," Luke groaned. He reached down and gently eased her off of him. She looked up at him, concerned.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. God, yeah. I just… I want you. I want to be with you again," he told her. A smile worthy of the Cheshire Cat bloomed across her face, and she slipped her tongue out once more to circle his head, just to hear him moan one more time before she was crawling up his body.

Luke took her by the hips as she situated herself over him. She took hold of his erection and pumped it a few times before placing it at her centre and dipping down onto it. The sounds of their mutual moans of appreciation filled the space as they were finally together again, nearly an hour after their first time.

With Luke deep inside of her, Lorelai began to twist her hips, moving in circles and keeping him fully encased in her warmth. Luke groaned and reached up to tease her breasts as she set up a pace that made them both yearn for more.

"Hey Luke?" Lorelai asked as she spun in slow circles.

"Yeah?" He swiped her nipple with his thumb.

"That thing you did, before?" She moved back and forth. "Before you went down on me. Holding my wrists?" Luke nodded. "That was hot," she finally told him.

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

She pushed a little harder onto him, making them both grunt.

"Oh yeah," she confirmed. Luke sat up and kissed her firmly, with a new sort of intensity that made Lorelai shudder. His hand came to her hair, taking a handful of it as they kissed, pulling it slightly at the roots – not enough to hurt, just enough to tug a little. She smiled into the kiss, letting him know how his actions affected her.

He dropped his lips to her neck, pulling her head back by her hair to give him room, while his other hand went to her hips, reminding her to keep moving as she ground into him, his cock as deep inside of her as he could go.

Her breathing picked up as his teeth grazed her throat, taking small bites along his path. He was careful not to cause any pain, just to show her he could play whatever way she wanted him to.

Then, in a smooth move, Luke tossed her to the side, dropping Lorelai unceremoniously on her back in the middle of the mattress, her hair splaying out across it in a sea of chestnut. She giggled as he moved over her to reclaim his place between her legs and entered her again.

He kissed her deeply and took her wrists in his hands, dropping them against the mattress and holding her still as he set a new pace, harder and faster than they had gone before.

Lorelai gasped at the feeling of him hitting her cervix with each deep thrust. She wrapped her legs around Luke's waist, her whole body moving when he did, inching them along the mattress with each push. The mood between them was hot, but unserious as they enjoyed this new experience together.

Luke knew he wouldn't last long at this pace, and he knew Lorelai had just had another orgasm only moments earlier, so bringing her to a peak before he climaxed was unlikely. Lorelai, for her part, was unconcerned with reaching her third orgasm in just over an hour. Instead, she wanted to watch Luke come apart. She had been too overwhelmed the first time to really witness it. This time, she wanted to see it happen.

Perspiration began to form on Luke's brow and between them as their athletic lovemaking went on. He was working hard, and the heat between them was almost unbearable in the warm bed and the warm apartment in this late summer month. But Luke didn't slow, and Lorelai didn't ask him to. She let him work himself out until he was all but pounding into her, grunts leaving his chest as he started to lose composure.

"Ung, Lorelai. I can't," he ground out. Lorelai shook her head.

"Let it go," she coaxed. "Come for me, Luke."

"Oh fuck," he cursed as his orgasm began to take hold.

"Yes. Yes, Luke," Lorelai exclaimed as he filled her for the second time. He was so sexy when he came, she barely noticed as her own body peaked without warning. She gasped, and squeezed him suddenly, causing another hard jerk of his hips as he was milked dry.

This time, as Luke collapsed on her, he quickly rolled them over, bringing her spent body on top of his, both of them laying diagonally on top of the covers.

Lorelai began to laugh as the fog cleared in her head. She wasn't sure which part of the moment struck her as funny, but the laughter was uncontainable. Luke shook his head. He couldn't account for what tickled her funny bone, but he couldn't help by laugh too, spurred on by her amusement.

"I don't know what's funny," Lorelai said between giggles. Luke shrugged his own misunderstanding, but the smile never left his lips. She pushed herself up, a beatific smile on her face as she caught his eye. "That was awesome," she told him, leaving no room for doubt. Luke chuckled again and brought her lips back to his for a deep and lingering kiss.

"You're nuts," he said as they broke.

"You like me this way."

"Guilty," he admitted. She smiled.

"Round three?" she questioned. Luke groaned.

"You're gonna kill me, woman."

"But what a way to go."

**XXXX**

Luke stood two steps from the bottom and took a few deep breaths to steady himself. He was about to enter the diner, not ten minutes after Lorelai's impromptu floor show. His mission was to get coffee and bring it upstairs, preferably without answering any questions.

He settled his face in a scowl and took the last few steps before turning the corner. He didn't even look up. Didn't want to know who was there to see his half-naked girlfriend. He just kept his head down and headed for the thankfully full coffeemaker. He grabbed a big red mug, filled it to the brim, and returned to the stairs.

If anyone had been planning to ask questions, his demeanor had successfully scared them off. He considered that a win. It also meant there's no way Babette or Miss Patty had been in the diner when Lorelai came down earlier, because his scowl would have done nothing to stop their questions.

When he made it up, Lorelai was just coming out of the bathroom. She was still dressed in his blue flannel, which was doing incredibly rude things to his sense of decorum. He wanted to be a good host, not just some creepy horn dog who humped the leg of the pretty lady every time she walked by him – but god, those legs. Miles long, and seemingly longer due to the scandalously short hemline.

He never thought he'd consider a ten-year old flannel to be a turn on before, but it turns out, he was wrong all along.

Lorelai stepped up to him and took the coffee he offered. She smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss – minty fresh. She had used some of his toothpaste and a spare toothbrush he kept on hand. It was a nice gesture, before their first official morning kiss. He was glad he had taken the time to brush his teeth before dressing and heading downstairs. The first date was way too soon to become acquainted with each other's morning breath.

"I could get used to waking up here if this is my reward," Lorelai commented, taking a sip of the hot brew. She and Luke sat down at the table so she could drink her coffee.

"Reward for what? Spending the night?"

"Uh, no, my reward for spending the night is our late-night acrobatics," she told him. In the light of day, her insinuations brought that delightful blush back to his cheeks, making her feel giddy with power. "I meant as a reward for, you know, _getting up_ , _out of bed_ , when I could have just as easily stayed _in bed_ with you," she clarified.

"Ah," Luke responded. He ventured. "So the, um, _acrobatics_ , as you so delicately put it." She giggled and sipped her coffee. He steadied his features, hoping not to seem too excited about the night before as he forged ahead. "I had a good time," he finished. She smiled.

"I got that impression," she teased. She gave his shin a nudge under the table with her toe. "I had a good time too," she assured him. His smile was instant.

"So you're still in? Want to do it again?" he asked, before fumbling. "I mean the dating thing, not just the _acrobatics._ "

"I'm still in," she agreed. She took another long drink of her coffee and looked him over. He was dressed for the day, jeans, flannel and hat all in place. She smiled at his regular uniform. It was part of his charm, she thought, that he was so consistent that someone could dress up as him for Halloween and warrant no questions about who they were trying to be.

It also made her hot, which, while not a new feeling, was certainly intensified now that she knew what was going on underneath all of those layers.

"What're you looking at?" he teased, catching her checking him out.

"Just undressing you with my eyes," she said innocently, taking a sip of her coffee. Luke chuckled.

"Well at least I have something on to _be_ undressed. Were you planning on wearing that all day?" he gestured to the flannel draped over her.

"The thought had crossed my mind," she told him. "But if it bothers you, I can take it off."

"Doesn't bother me," he told her.

"You sure? I was kind of liking the 'take it off' option."

She set her coffee down and stood from her chair, moving over to him and straddling his knees, leaving enough room between them for her to work.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking it off," she told him, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She began working on the top few buttons, only to have her hands replaced by his. She grinned as he took over, sliding each button through each hole until the fabric draped open. He spread it wide and she let it fall down her shoulders, catching on her elbows and hanging loosely off her now fully-exposed body.

Lorelai didn't say anything as Luke let a hand wander over her skin, chasing the curves of her breasts and down to her folds, where he slipped a finger between them, finding her wet and ready for him. He reached further between her legs and let a finger slide along her wet sex as he leaned in and caught a nipple in his mouth, his tongue dancing circles around it. Lorelai took his head in both of her hands and held him to her chest as he worked, moans leaving her lips as he teased her clit and nipple at the same pace.

"Oh Luke," she moaned. He smirked into her breast and moved to the other to lave it with the same attention. She began to move herself against his finger; Luke slipped it into her warmth so she would have something to ride.

"Fuck, Lorelai," he groaned. He pulled back so he could watch her move. "You're so sexy."

"It'd be a whole lot sexier if we got you out of your pants," she told him, her eyes dark with arousal. Luke swallowed hard. His erection strained against his zipper painfully and he found he couldn't disagree with her there.

He withdrew his finger and nodded for Lorelai to get up off his lap. He quickly undid his jeans and pushed them down to his knees along with his boxers, before retaking his seat and pulling Lorelai back into his lap.

He had never tested his kitchen chairs with two people before, but he was pretty sure he didn't care what happened to this one, as Lorelai reclaimed her place in his lap, straddling him and taking his erection into her waiting core.

Her feet barely touched the floor in this position, so instead of vertical movements, she wound her hips as he stayed buried deep inside of her, creating the most incredible friction against her clit. Luke grasped her hips, helping her move while pushing up into her with little thrusts that served to increase the friction between them, without losing the depth of their connection.

Lorelai kissed Luke soundly as they found their rhythm, bodies moving in sync with little need for change or correction as they slowly built to orgasm together. Lorelai was the first to go over the edge, barely containing her cries of pleasure, but trying hard not to alert the masses in the diner as to their morning activities. Luke swallowed her moans, their mouths fused in deep and passionate kisses as they went.

When he came, he buried his mouth against her neck to muffle his own sounds of release, as he grunted with each hot spurt that poured from his thoroughly spent member.

Lorelai smiled down at him as they both caught their breath. He leaned in and kissed her again, slowly, gently, just enjoying this moment together before facing what waited for them on the other side of the door.

"I should get dressed," Lorelai finally said, a little reluctantly. Luke nodded.

"If you don't, I'm pretty sure neither of us is getting to work today," he told her. She smiled.

"See when you say stuff like that, it makes me not want to go."

"Sorry," he said, without a hint of remorse. He helped her get to her feet on wobbly legs, standing up himself to steady her. She leaned in and kissed him again before heading for the bathroom, collecting her clothes from the floor on her way. Luke watched her go, coming quickly to the conclusion that the view from the back was every bit as good as the view from the front.

While she got ready, Luke righted his clothes and went about cleaning up the apartment a bit, picking up his clothes from the night before and returning the warm bottle of wine to the fridge. He popped Lorelai's coffee in the microwave to heat it back up so she could finish it when she came back out.

Lorelai cleaned herself up and dressed in her clothes from the night before, preparing for the walk of shame, but feeling no shame at all after the incredible night and morning spent with her boyfriend. In fact, she felt nothing but joy, knowing all she had to look forward to as they embarked on their new relationship.

She returned to the kitchen just as the microwave beeped. Luke pulled her reheated coffee from the machine and presented it to her, which she accepted gratefully.

"So, how long do you think the 'humping like bunnies' stage is gonna last? Because, I gotta tell you, if we're going at it three times per date, I'm gonna need some warning so I can stretch or something," she said, taking a sip of her coffee.

Luke chuckled. "I don't know about three times per date, but you might want to invest in a yoga mat."

She grinned delightedly. "I love Dirty Luke. I think he's my favourite.”

"Really? Better than Coffee Luke or Home Repair Luke?"

"Tough call. But Dirty Luke kind of overlaps with Coffee Luke, because this point your coffee is basically an aphrodisiac." She took a long drink from her coffee mug and moaned.

"You're shameless."

"Problem?"

"Not in the least."

"Oh, we're going to get along just fine, my friend." He laughed lightly as she finished off her coffee. He took her cup and dropped it into the sink for later.

"Come on, get your stuff and I'll drive you home. We'll slip out the back, avoid the gauntlet." Lorelai closed the small distance between them.

"I'd brave the gauntlet for you." She kissed him lightly and pulled back to see a small smile on his face. "Just thought you should know."

**XXXX**

It didn't take long for Luke and Lorelai to make their covert exit from the diner. The short drive went by without many words, but Luke held her hand through all of it, sending a warmth straight through her body. It was remarkable, she thought, how quickly he had penetrated all of her usual defences. She was usually guarded, but Luke made her feel safe. That was a new feeling that she was quickly coming to appreciate.

When Luke pulled into her driveway, he killed the engine and got out while she was rounding up her purse and jacket. He pulled her door open and offered her a hand to hop out of the truck. That chivalry was back. Lorelai decided she kind of liked it.

With her hand firmly in his, the pair walked toward the house and ascended the steps, stopping in front of the door to face each other.

"I had a really great night," Lorelai told him. Luke grinned.

"Good. Me too."

"So, they're showing _A Streetcar Named Desire_ at the Black White and Read tonight. You want to go see it?" Lorelai broached, feeling a little awkward asking him out for a second date on the heels of their first, but she figured there were no rules anymore.

"I can do that. I just have to call Lane in to close," he told her.

"You don't have to rearrange schedules for me, Luke. We can always go out another time."

"No, it's fine, she's been after me for more hours anyway," he assured her. "What time's the movie?"

"Eight, but we have to swing by the town meeting first." Luke grimaced.

"Ugh, why?"

"Oh come on, it'll be fun. Like a pre-show show."

"It will _not_ be fun. Besides, you, of all people, should want to avoid those crazy town things, at least until something more interesting happens than you walking into the diner without pants on," he reminded her.

"If that's the metric, then we're never going to a town meeting again."

"And I would make that sacrifice for you," he said with false sincerity. Lorelei offered a small laugh and shook her head.

"That's very noble of you, but I think we can handle it."

Luke let out a heavy, put-upon sigh. "Fine. I'll pick you up at seven," he grumbled. He started for the steps, but Lorelai caught him by the hand and pulled him back.

"You know it's customary to kiss the girl at the end of a date. You wouldn't want me to think you're not that into me, would you?" Lorelai joked.

Luke quirked an eyebrow. "You didn't get that memo last night? And then again this morning?"

"A little reassurance would be nice. You're not the love 'em and leave 'em type, are you Luke?" Luke could see the teasing gleam in her eye, but he was uncomfortable. He looked around, sparing a glance at Babette's house.

"The walls have eyes, you know."

"I'm pretty sure the secrets already out, Babe."

He sighed. "I guess you're right."

"So?" She watched him intently as he seemed to make up his mind. Luke spared another glance around and then leaned in, giving her the quickest peck on the lips in the history of kisses. She blinked up at him when he pulled away.

"Uh, what the hell was that?"

"A kiss?" Luke more questioned than answered.

"Who are you, Woody Woodpecker? That was not a kiss."

"I'm sorry, I'm not so good with PDAs."

"You didn't seem to be complaining last night at the restaurant," she challenged. Luke took a deep breath and looked around again, steeling himself. Lorelai watched him with thinly-veiled amusement as he came to a conclusion.

He kissed her again. The force of it made her stumble backwards, but he caught her in his arms and steadied her against his body as he kissed her with all of the passion she had become acquainted with in the past 12 hours. She opened her mouth to him, inviting his tongue as he swept it inside and tasted her again. A moan came from her throat, unbidden, spurring him on as he walked her back into her door, pushing her up against it.

She was the one who slowed it down, not out of want, but need and timing.

When Luke pulled away, they were both breathless.

"Better?" he asked. Lorelai nodded dumbly, no words on her lips. Luke quirked a small grin and backed away, leaving her leaning against the door as it steadied her.

"So… I'll see you tonight?" he asked. Lorelai blinked at him. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "Okay. Pick you up at seven."

He dropped a casual kiss on her cheek and retreated down the stairs to his truck, thoroughly pleased with himself.

Lorelai watched him go, a smile weaving its way onto her lips as his truck revved to life and he pulled out of her driveway.

She may have underestimated Luke Danes. Next time, she would be prepared.


	7. The Toy

**The Toy**

**Inspired by Episode 3.04 – One's Got Class and the Other One Dyes**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Be a good boy and I'll buy you a toy afterward._

**Description: Lorelai finally gets Luke his toy. Set during season 5.**

* * *

Lorelai felt giddy as she bounded up her front porch steps and into her house.

Today had been a _very_ interesting day.

It all started with a surprise left at the inn. Not necessarily a surprise any proprietor _wants_ to find, but one that she figured was bound to pop up eventually, given her line of work.

Every time a guest checked out of the Dragonfly, the housekeepers would go through the room with a fine-toothed comb to ensure no valuables had been left behind. When items were found, Lorelai or Michel would give the guests a call and offer to ship them back, at no cost, of course. It was a little extra touch she and Sookie had agreed upon when they opened the inn to encourage repeat visitors.

Most of the time items left behind were uninspiring: a tube of toothpaste, lipstick, a hair brush. Once someone forgot a whole suitcase full of snack-sized candy bars.

But today, the Dragonfly's oldest and sweetest housekeeper, Lynnette, had stumbled across something else. So sweet was she, that she didn't immediately recognize the device that had rolled all the way under the bed, the battery dead after what could only have been hours of constant use.

Lorelai's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw it.

"Oh, Lynnette, honey. You didn't touch that with your bare hands, did you?" she asked as the woman presented the item.

"Oh no, dear, I always wear gloves while cleaning," the older woman assured her.

"Okay, well, good. Leave it with me," Lorelai said. She quickly grabbed a tissue and held out her hand for Lynnette to relinquish the device. When the housekeeper moved on to continue with her work, Lorelai let her giggles loose.

There was a first time for everything, and sure enough, today was the Dragonfly's first abandoned vibrator. She wrapped it up snuggly in the tissue and considered how she was going to make that particular call to her departed guest. The evil part of her wanted to leave it to Michel, but she knew that wouldn't be appropriate. It was too bad, though. She would have paid to hear that phone conversation.

Shaking her head, she tucked the balled-up tissue into the bottom drawer of the front desk where pens and post-its went to die, and went to the bathroom to wash her hands.

The rest of the day went by fairly uneventfully. She had made the call, and the guest was predictably mortified to have left her bullet behind. Lorelai had offered to send it in the mail, but the woman insisted they trash it, which suited Lorelai just fine.

Try as she might, Lorelai couldn't get the vibrator out of her head. She used to have one of her own, but it had kicked the bucket years earlier, and she never bothered to replace it. Now, she figured, she had Luke to keep her properly stimulated, so it's not like she needed it.

But then she recalled that her guest had checked in with a male friend. The two had escaped to their room early the night before, and weren't seen or heard from again until checkout time that morning.

She wondered what they were doing up there all night long with the sex toy.

It wasn't like she didn't know couples could enjoy those kinds of things together. It just never occurred to her to bring something like that into the bedroom. She couldn't deny it – she was intrigued.

Always a fan of spontaneity, when Lorelai got off work that afternoon, she decided to head toward Woodbury, the closest town with a sex shop. Once there, she quickly located the items she was after, paid and made her escape.

Luke was coming over that night after work. She figured she'd see if he was interested in mixing things up a little. After all, she had once promised to buy him a toy.

She giggled at that thought, reminiscing about the day she forced him to go speak at Stars Hollow High. He was so cranky about having to go to his alma matter that she had jokingly offered to buy him a toy if he was a good boy and did what he was told. Granted, this probably wasn't what he'd had in mind, but she was pretty sure he wouldn't be opposed. Luke may be buttoned up in public, but he was surprisingly uninhibited in the bedroom – something Lorelai was more than happy to take advantage of.

Once inside the house, she raced up to her bedroom and emptied the contents of the bag onto her bed: a bullet vibrator with ten settings, some vanilla-flavoured lubricant, and a new midnight blue lacy teddy that she was planning to debut for Luke that night.

She set everything up just the way she wanted it on her bedside table and went downstairs to try and distract herself until it was time to get ready.

**XXXX**

When Luke got in that night, he took a cursory look around the main floor for Lorelai before calling up the stairs to let her know he was there.

"Upstairs!" she called back down from her bedroom.

"You comin' down?"

"No, you come up!"

"Why?"

"Just get up here, will you?" she exclaimed. Luke shook his head and kicked off his shoes before ascending the staircase. When he reached Lorelai's room, he peered inside and took in the sight before him.

Candles were lit around the room, casting a dim dancing light through the space. Lorelai stood in front of her bed, clad only in the sheerest of lingerie, which did nothing to hide her assets underneath. He grinned as he took in the sight.

"Special occasion?" he asked, his hands in his pockets as he stood by the door.

"Just a Tuesday," she told him. "Come on in, stay a while."

Luke grinned and made his way over to her. He wrapped his arms around her midsection and pulled her close, leaning in for a slow, sensual kiss. When they parted, he pulled back just far enough so he could look her over in appraisal.

"New outfit?" He ran the back of his index finger over the lacy fabric covering her stomach.

"You like?"

"I love," he corrected her. He met her eyes. "Just a Tuesday, huh?" she giggled and moved forward to wrap her arms around his neck.

"A very _inspiring_ Tuesday," she told him, closing the distance and kissing him soundly. Luke brushed the seam of her lips with his tongue, seeking entrance which she willingly allowed. He let his hands explore her back, feeling the lace under his fingertips. He bunched it up in his hand and let the other go lower to grope her exposed backside, taking a handful of it as he pulled her barely-covered core against his jean-clad hardness.

He pulled away from the kiss to move down to the column of her throat, licking and tasting as he went.

"So what brought this on?" he asked between kisses.

"Mmm," Lorelai moaned in response to his ministrations. "Just wanted to try something new. I have a surprise for you.” He pulled back slightly to see her.

"This isn't the surprise?" he asked, fingering the material that dipped low between her breasts.

"Just part of it, there's more," she promised. She tossed his hat away and began to work on the buttons of his flannel. "I got us a toy."

"A toy?" he asked, running his hands over her chest and sides as she disrobed him. She pushed his flannel off his shoulders and then tugged at his t-shirt. He raised his arms allowing her to pull it over his head before his hands reclaimed their place on her body while she went to work on his jeans. When Luke stepped out of them, Lorelai nodded toward the bed for him to sit down, which he did obediently. She picked up the device from her bedside table and moved to sit down next to him, handing it over to him.

"What's this?"

"It's a bullet," she said with a conspiratorial grin. He viewed the object unsurely.

"A bullet," he mimicked, turning it over in his hand.

"A vibrator," she clarified.

"I know what a bullet is," he told her, a little annoyed.

"Okay, I wasn't sure.” She watched him take in the device for a moment. "What do you think?"

"I think... I'm not sure what I think," he finally said. He turned to her. "Why do we need this?"

"It's just something to enhance our experience," she explained.

"Do we need _enhancing_?" he questioned.

"Need? No. But where's the harm in experimentation?"

"I guess," he allowed. "Have you, uh… have you ever used one of these before?"

"A long time ago," she said. "Have you?" He shook his head.

"It's not really made for men.”

"Au contraire, my friend," she objected. She reached over and took it from him, pressing the button on the bottom and letting it rev to life. "This little guy is universal."

"How do you figure?" She nodded to his boxers.

"Lose the shorts and I'll show you." He eyed her skeptically for a moment before standing and dropping his boxers and toeing off his socks, adding them to the pile of his clothes on the floor. He returned to the bed and sat down next to Lorelai.

"Lay back," she instructed him. He quirked an eyebrow at her, but did as he was told. She clicked off the vibrator and crawled over to him, kissing him soundly. She swung a leg over his to straddle him before laying out flat and settling into their make-out session. Luke's hands coursed liberally over her body as she writhed over him, bringing every part of him to life.

Luke slipped his hands under her lingerie, splaying his fingers wide as he rubbed from the top of her back down to her butt and back up again, groping as he went along. He stopped at her backside after a few strokes and pushed her exposed core against his naked manhood, enjoying the feeling of her skin against his.

"Mmm," Luke moaned into her lips. "I don't think we need the help." Lorelai pulled away, sitting up and slipping her teddy over her head. She ground down into his hardness lined up with her core.

"Just trust me," she told him with an awkward wink. He bucked up into her, holding her hips as she moved over him for another few moments.

Finally, she slid off of him. Luke groaned at the loss of contact, but watched her intently as she reached for the other item on her nightstand.

"Lube?" he asked, taking note of the unfamiliar bottle.

" _Flavoured_ lube," she corrected him, squeezing out a generous dollop and rubbing her hands together to warm it up. Before Luke could question her again, she reached for his erection and ran both hands over him, swirling a palm across his tip make every part of him slick. He groaned at the sensation and bucked into her hand.

"It's so warm," he said. She shot him a sexy grin.

"It warms up when you use it."

She continued to run her hands over his length with a firm grip, revelling in the sounds he was making. Soon, she leaned down, taking his cock in her mouth, going down as far as she could. She released him a moment later with a 'pop'.

"Mmm, tastes like vanilla," she said, dipping back down. She watched Luke as his eyes fluttered closed, just enjoying the sensation of his girlfriend sucking him off and massaging warm lube into his shaft and balls.

Once his eyes were closed, Lorelai snagged the bullet from beside Luke and turned it on. She palmed it, and with the same hand took hold of his shaft to pump him along with the device.

"Ah, geez!" Luke exclaimed at the first jolt of vibrations against him. His eyes popped open and he looked down at Lorelai, whose eyes were locked on him. She held his gaze as she moved back down to take him in her mouth again, all the while working the base of his shaft with the bullet. She could swear she saw Luke's eyes roll back in his head at the combination of sensations.

Luke dropped his head back into the pillow, closing his eyes tightly. He reached down and laid a hand on the back of Lorelai's head, helping her work over him in just the right way.

As Lorelai continued to service him with her mouth, she eased the bullet lower, briefly massaging his testicles with it before moving underneath them. With two fingers, she pressed the vibrator flush against his perineum, the oft-forgotten bundle of nerves that could bring intense pleasure when stimulated. She could tell from Luke's moans and the way he began thrusting upward into her mouth that he was enjoying this new sensation.

She continued this motion for a few moments, listening to Luke come up higher, bucking into her mouth, and holding her head with both hands as he did so.

"Ung, stop," he cried. "Lorelai, stop." She pulled the device away quickly and clicked it off, momentarily concerned that she had somehow hurt him.

"You okay?" she asked. He nodded, catching his breath.

"If you keep doin' that this is gonna be over before it starts," he told her. He reached his hand out to her, palm up. "Gimme that thing."

Lorelai giggled as she dropped the bullet in his hand. Luke got up and pushed her over onto her back, catching her lips in a searing kiss. She reached up and gripped him by his hair, holding him close as he slipped his tongue between her lips.

"It does taste like vanilla," he mumbled against her. She laughed into the kiss.

"Told you."

He kissed her again before moving down her body, sucking and licking at her breasts. He pushed them together and tongued her nipples back and forth, taking small nips at them, eliciting sounds of pleasure from his beautiful girlfriend.

He moved lower still, pushing her legs apart to settle in between them. He grabbed the lubricant and squeezed a generous dollop directly onto her centre. Lorelai gasped at the sudden chill to her overheated core, but her cries quickly turned to moans as Luke's thumb found her clit and began rubbing the lubricant in, heating it up as he went. The slipperiness let his digit glide effortlessly back and forth, making Lorelai dizzy with pleasure.

Finally, Luke grabbed the bullet again and turned it on. He watched Lorelai intently as he brought it to her clit. At first, he used it to rub around the nub, building her anticipation. Then he dipped in and laved her with attention from his tongue, tasting an intoxicating cocktail of vanilla mixed with her own unique flavour.

Finally, Luke brought the vibrator directly against her clit, and Lorelai gasped at the sudden intensity of its vibrations. He held it there for a moment, licking lower and dipping his tongue in and out of her heat. Lorelai bucked against the feeling.

Eventually, Luke lowered the device and slipped it easily inside of her, letting it hit her in a new way as his mouth took up residence over her clit. Lorelai dove her hands into his hair, holding him there as she rode out the sensation. Luke felt his cock twitch at the sounds of her intense pleasure, and he knew he needed to be inside of her.

Luke slipped the device out of her and turned it off, putting it to the side as he climbed over her and kissed her deeply. She shoved her tongue into his mouth to taste herself on him, revelling in the heady mixture of his taste mixed with hers.

Luke made to enter her from on top, but Lorelai had other ideas. With a hand on the centre of his chest, she pushed him over onto his back. He didn't put up a fight, and she followed immediately after, straddling him and taking his length into her soaking wet heat in one smooth move.

Lorelai began to move over him, setting up a quick rhythm. It felt incredible, but there was one more thing she needed to do to complete their experiment.

She grabbed the bullet from the bed beside them and clicked the button a few times until it hit its highest intensity. Luke watched her curiously as she slid the device between her labia, buzzing against her clit and his pubic bone. They both groaned loudly, feeling the vibrations resonating through both of their bodies.

Lorelai ground down onto the vibrator with Luke's cock deep inside of her. She cried out and began to move faster, craving more and more of the incredible feeling between her legs. Luke grabbed her by the hips and dragged her over him hard on his cock and even harder on the vibrator. With every downstroke, he felt the vibrations intensify at the base of his shaft, sending shockwaves straight through him.

The two set up a frantic pace as they used the sex toy between them, all the while having Luke buried balls-deep in Lorelai. He began to thrust up into her, feeling himself coming dangerously close to toppling over the edge. His eyes were heavy and tried to force their way shut, but he wouldn't let them. He was determined to see Lorelai come with the intensity that he knew she would in this position with the bullet assaulting her clit with every stroke.

Lorelai cried out as she worked herself on top of Luke. He moaned loudly, seeing her use him so shamelessly for her own pleasure. Her hands flew to her own breasts and she pinched her nipples tightly between her thumbs and forefingers, wanting to feel every ounce of pleasure that she could in this moment.

Finally, just as Luke was sure he wouldn't be able to hold on any longer, Lorelai cried out, his name spilling from her lips and she fucked him desperately, causing his dam to burst right along with her.

Luke pounded up into Lorelai as they came fiercely, both of them shaking as the bullet continued to buzz painfully between them.

"Oh my god, make it stop!" Lorelai exclaimed, reaching for the offending device and turning it off before tossing it away. Luke laughed breathlessly, sharing in her relief at having it gone, but still feeling its vibrations coursing through his body as he came down from his orgasm.

Lorelai collapsed against him, breathing heavily into the crook of his neck as she fought to catch her breath. Luke tried to hold her, but his limbs were heavy and spent. He let his arms fall to his sides, and breathed deeply against her weight on his chest, attempting to get his bearings.

It took a few moments, but Lorelai eventually did find her voice.

"I don't think I can move," she mumbled against the skin of his neck.

"Then don't," Luke told her sleepily.

"But I'm crushing you," she said. Luke chuckled and brought his heavy arms up to circle her.

"Don't go anywhere."

"Okay," she agreed, her voice thick with exhaustion. "You still iffy on the bullet?" she asked. Luke chuckled beneath her.

"Ask me later when I can formulate a thought." She placed a kiss to his neck and relaxed into him to rest.

"So we're definitely doing this again then?" she asked.

"Count on it."


	8. Trying Again

**Trying Again**

**Inspired by episode 5.08 – The Party's Over**

**_LUKE:_ ** _Listen, you don't have to sit here. I'll deal with this. You go home.  
 **LORELAI:** Are you sure?  
 **LUKE:** Yep. They are my family. Yippee. I'll deal with it. You take this and go home, and we will try again tomorrow._

**Description: Luke pulls out all the stops to top the date night that was interrupted by Liz and T.J.'s fight.**

* * *

It was 6:30 on Saturday night when Lorelai came home from work. She hadn't been scheduled to go in that day, but an influx of fall festival-goers, combined with Michel coming down with a harrowing case of _man cold_ had her covering for a grueling 12 hour shift on her day off. She was tired, sore, hungry and a little cranky.

She vaguely took note of Luke's truck in her driveway, pulling in behind it and killing the engine on the Wrangler. At least she would get to spend the night with him. She hoped he wouldn't mind if they made it an early one.

As soon as she pulled open the front door, her senses were awakened by the sounds and smells of something amazing happening in the kitchen.

"Luke?" she called, kicking off her shoes and shucking her coat before making her way into the kitchen. She found him in there working over the stove.

"Hey, good, you're home," he greeted. He gave her a quick kiss before returning to his work.

"What's all this?" she asked, peering over his shoulder at what he was putting together.

"This is our do-over," he explained. She eyed him curiously.

"Do-over?"

"Yes. Take two on the dinner we were supposed to _enjoy_ last night." Lorelai felt some of her crabbiness begin to melt away.

"Aw, Luke, you didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to. Besides, I had other plans last night that didn't involve listening to Liz and T.J. re-enact Saving Private Ryan in my bathroom."

"What kind of plans?" Lorelai prompted, backing away from the stove to sit at the table, giving her aching feet a much-needed rest.

"That's for me to know and you to find out.” Lorelai laughed, but didn't probe further.

"What are you making, anyway? It smells incredible."

"Parmesan risotto with roasted shrimp and scallions for dinner, followed by an Anjou pear galette for dessert." Lorelai began to salivate as he described the dish.

"Luke, are you trying to fatten me up?" she teased. He raised an eyebrow and turned to her briefly.

"If 36 years of cheeseburgers and chili fries didn't do it, I think you're safe from my risotto."

"I'm just saying, if you like a plump woman, I can redouble my efforts for you."

"I like you just fine the way you are."

"You sure? More cushion for...?"

"If you want the pushin' you'll stop now," he cut her off. She giggled.

"I can't believe you just referred to our tender lovemaking as "the pushin'". What would Emily Post say?"

"Trust me, Miss Manners would be appalled by my plans for you this evening," he said, his voice registering a low and gritty tone. Lorelai felt a surge of arousal shoot through her.

"Oh come on, you can't drop that on me and not share the details."

"You'll find out soon enough," he said, returning his focus to stirring the risotto. Just then, the timer on the oven dinged. Luke donned an oven mitt and pulled out the galette, setting it on a hot plate to cool.

"Oh my God, can we start with dessert?" Lorelai asked, totally distracted by delicate pastry before her.

"Patience is a virtue," Luke said, turning off the burner he was working over and shutting off the oven. "Risotto's done. Wine's in the fridge – can you grab it?"

"Uh, you see, I would love to do that for you, but my legs are no longer functioning," Lorelai said with a bit of a pout. She stretched her legs out so Luke could see her slightly swollen feet.

"Geez, what happened to you today?" He headed for the fridge and grabbed the wine, filling up their glasses with Sauvignon Blanc as she answered.

"Fall festival aficionados," she said, simply.

"Ah."

"Yes, dozens of them, all looking for a unique Stars Hollow experience tailored specifically for them."

"Sounds busy," he allowed, grabbing their plates and filling them with food from the stovetop.

"It was nuts. And Michel was sick, and we were short two servers, and the weekend cook was way off his game – lots of food sent back – so I ended up doing a little bit of everything. In four-inch heels."

"You should really buy more sensible shoes," Luke admonished, setting their plates down and sitting in the seat next to her.

"Beauty is pain, my friend." She took a heaping forkful of risotto and shoved it in her mouth, moaning over the explosions of flavour. "But this might make me forget all about it," she said around her mouthful. Luke grinned.

"Glad you like it." The two settled in to eat their meal, conversation flowing easily as they enjoyed their dinner and dessert, and a few glasses of wine to top off the evening.

**XXXX**

"I can't believe we've been dating for like two months and I'm just now learning the extent of your amazing culinary talents," Lorelai said as Luke cleared their plates from the table and began packing up the leftovers.

"I run a restaurant, it's not like you didn't know I could cook."

"But this is so much more than _cooking_ , Luke. This is an art form."

"Just call me Maestro," he joked.

"Well, you owe me, Maestro. Now that I know you've been keeping this from me, I'm a little mad," she teased.

"I didn't realize I had to buy your affections."

"Hi, have you met me?"

"Right, my mistake."

"Well, now I want to know what you plan to do to make it up to me."

"The galette was supposed to put me over the top."

"Hey, it was a good effort, but I'm gonna need more."

"Oh yeah?" He held a hand out to her and helped her onto her aching feet, pulling her in tightly against him. "What did you have in mind?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him hold some of her weight.

"I thought you had plans."

"I do have plans, but I would understand if you weren't up for it tonight." Lorelai smiled at his concern for her.

"As long as your plans have me horizontal, I'm good to go." Luke laughed, and she leaned up and caught his lips in a deep, slow kiss, tasting the sweetness of the pear mixed with the bitterness of the wine. She sighed against his lips as he went in for another.

Together they stood in the kitchen for a long moment, just kissing and tasting each other, arms wrapped tightly around each other as Luke held them upright.

He pulled away slowly and took note of her putting more weight on him.

"Hold on tight," he said, lifting her up off the floor and hoisting her legs around his waist.

"Really? You're gonna carry me?" Lorelai asked, a surprised grin spreading across her face as she adjusted around him. His hands went around her back, holding her to him as he made his way out of the kitchen and toward the stairs.

"It's either this or you go down in the kitchen."

"Dirty!" He just shook his head, carefully navigating the stairs as he held her tightly to him. When they finally made it to the bedroom, he eased her gently onto the bed, following her down and kissing her tenderly.

Lorelai tangled her hands in Luke's hair as they kissed on the edge of the bed. Luke leaned over her, his body in between her legs which were still wrapped around his waist. He let his hand roam in the space between their bodies, up her stomach and between her breasts and back down again, the silk of her blouse teasing her skin as he went.

He pulled away shortly after and went about the task of undressing Lorelai fully, and himself down to his boxers. Lorelai shimmied up the bed until she was situated in the middle, waiting for him to join her.

"I'll be right back," he said, leaving the room abruptly, leaving Lorelai alone and confused in the middle of her bed.

"Uh, I guess I'll be right here?" Lorelai said confusedly as she watched him retreat.

He was back a moment later holding something that Lorelai couldn't make out in the dark of the room. Instead of joining her at the top of the bed, Luke settled down by her feet.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just relax," he said, squeezing the contents of the tube into his hands and rubbing them together. Before Lorelai could ask again, he took her right foot and placed it on his knee, beginning to rub it in his hands. Lorelai moaned at the sensation as he massaged every part of her aching foot and ankle, leaving a feeling of rubbery looseness in his wake. He swapped to the other foot and gave it the same treatment.

After working on her feet for a while, Luke began to move up her body; her calves, her thighs. He turned her over and worked the knots across her lower back, and up to where the tightness in her shoulders ached.

Lorelai could have fallen asleep at the sensation of being so completely pampered, but feeling Luke's hands slick and warm all over her body aroused her too much to let herself succumb to sleep.

Luke spent a while on her back before turning Lorelai back around and working down her arms, then her hands, giving each digit special attention. Lorelai pried her eyes open to watch him. He met her gaze in the dark, holding her hand to his chest as he massaged the day away.

Finally, he leaned down and placed the lightest of kisses to her lips, then her neck, and worked his way back down her body, fluttering his lips across her skin.

Luke stopped over her breasts, kissing and tenderly slipping his tongue around her hardened nipples, alternating his mouth with his hands, his thumb rubbing circles around them. Lorelai sighed at the sensation, but let her hands rest on the pillow on either side of her head as he took his time exploring her body.

After paying ample attention to her breasts, Luke moved further down, pushing her legs apart and settling in between them.

Lorelai gasped at the first long stroke of his tongue. He parted her with his fingers and worked his mouth over her clit for a few moments, listening to her moans become louder and more insistent. Lorelai could feel every part of her body come alive as he worked, tasting her and licking and sucking in just the right way.

She almost came apart when he inserted two fingers inside of her, finding her hot and wet and so ready for him. As he curled his fingers within her, he continued to work his mouth over her clit, grinning to himself as her hips started to move of their own accord and her moans became more frequent.

"Oh Luke," she whispered, fisting handfuls of her hair in her hands, not wanting to interrupt any part of what he was doing.

He pulled his fingers from her heat and gripped her hips, holding her still as he applied more pressure to her clit, speeding up his tongue, increasing the intensity. Lorelai's hips fought against his grip as he held her, his name falling from her lips over and over like a prayer as she came apart with explosions of pleasure.

Luke continued to lick at her in long, languid strokes as she came down, her breaths coming in sharp, quick huffs, her chest rising and falling dramatically as she continued to moan at the feeling of him against her.

Finally, he pulled away and quickly took off his boxers before repositioning himself over her and slipping easily into her heat. Lorelai spread her legs wide for him, giving him all the room she could as he filled her to the hilt, her release leaving her slick and warm for him.

Luke dropped kisses to Lorelai's neck as he moved in deep, shallow thrusts, maintaining an incredible connection. He ground down against her, teasing her clit with the hair and muscle across his pubic bone.

Lorelai grabbed his face and pulled it to hers, kissing him deeply, passionately, pouring every ounce of energy she had left into it. He had done so much for her that night, and as she felt him deep and hard within her, it was all she could do to show him how much she appreciated him after such a long, hard day.

Luke kissed her back, meeting her passion and speeding up his thrusts within her. He continued to grind against her clit with each stroke, and Lorelai could feel that familiar feeling building within her for a second time. As Luke moved faster still, she moaned into his mouth, raising her hips up in time with his downward thrusts to meet him and enhance the pleasure he was giving her.

Finally, Lorelai felt the dam break. Luke pulled back so he could watch her come apart beneath him, bucking hard into her as he let his own orgasm overtake him just as she came off of hers.

Lorelai felt him fill her before he collapsed onto her, continuing with short thrusts as he emptied every last bit of his climax into her with grunts from deep inside of his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and held his head to her shoulder as they both came down from their heights, their bodies slick with sweat and massage oil, their breathing heavy, but in sync.

Luke stayed within her for a few moments as they both regained their strength. He pulled out slowly, falling to the side and pulling her along with him so her head could rest on his chest. She slung a leg over his body, snuggling in as close as she could, exhausted but thoroughly sated. Luke pulled the comforter over them as they settled in.

"Was this all part of your master plan?" she let her voice break through the silence of the room.

"Plans change," he said, rubbing his hand over the thigh.

"I gotta say, I'm a big fan of this version," she sighed and sunk further into him. "I don't think I've ever felt this relaxed." He smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Good." They both closed their eyes, preparing to let sleep take them.

Before it could, Lorelai spoke again.

"Do I get to know what the original plan entailed?"

"Nah. I'm saving it for another time."

"Tease," she pouted, her voice thick with sleepiness.

“And proud of it.”


	9. The Weekend

**The Weekend**

**Inspired by Episode 5.09 - Emily Says Hello**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _You sure you can't stay?  
 **LUKE:** I've got really early deliveries tomorrow. I'll make it up to you this weekend.  
 **LORELAI:** I'm going to hold you to that, Mister._

**Description:** **Luke plans a trip for him and Lorelai to get in some much-needed quality time.**

* * *

"Come on, Luke!"

"I'm not saying a word."

"That's not fair! I'm already in the truck. You've already made it impossible for me to pack appropriately. What could you possibly have to gain by not telling me where we're going now?"

"The unmitigated joy of watching you squirm?"

"You're mean."

Lorelai and Luke had been driving for about twenty minutes. It was the weekend after their abbreviated date, and Luke had decided to take a few days off from the diner so he and Lorelai could get away. There had been too many dates cut short recently. Too many early morning deliveries. Too many nights spent apart. He needed to be with her, uninterrupted, for at least a few days to get his fill.

When he floated the idea of a weekend getaway, Lorelai was immediately hooked and offered to make all the plans. However, Luke wanted to do this himself and surprise her, which she was more than amenable to when he promised her unlimited coffee and sex for the duration of their trip.

Now, three days later, they were on the road. They had two nights and three days away at a hotel and spa on the coast, and Luke had a few tricks up his sleeve to help make the trip special for them.

He had given Lorelai almost no information about where they were going or what they would be doing when they got there, and, as a result, had heard nothing but complaints from her all week. He didn't mind, though. It wasn't often he got to really show off his romantic side, and this, he figured, was a good way to do it.

"Just give me a hint," Lorelai continued to pry.

"It's in Connecticut," he told her dryly. Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Some hint."

"You didn't specify what the hint had to be," he reasoned, a little too cavalierly for her tastes.

"You're on a power trip, and I gotta tell ya, I don't know if I like this side of you."

"Oh, sure you do."

"How can you be so sure? What if this is the thing that ends us, all because you refused to tell me where the hell we're going?"

"I guess I'll just have to take my chances."

"Even the threat of losing me isn't enough. What do you want from me? My first born? 'Cause Rory's pretty much grown, but she's way more expensive than she used to be."

"I just want to surprise you. Can you please let me do that?" he asked with a sideways glance.

She pouted. "Like I have a choice."

"You don't, so just put on some music and settle in. It's not that far."

"How far is not far?"

"About an hour," he told her.

"Just an hour?"

"Just an hour."

"You'd better be telling the truth, mister," she said, pointing at him. He reached out to lower her hand.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll punish you," she said with a sly grin. He chuckled lightly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." She laughed.

"Hmm. I think I'm going to like Vacation Luke."

He donned a crooked grin. "I think you will too."

"That was possibly very dirty."

"That's the idea." He turned to her and winked, before returning his gaze out the windshield. Lorelai smiled back at him, sufficiently intrigued by the potential of what Vacation Luke brought to the table. But she was still not satisfied that he seemed to have one up on her, which is what prompted her next series of actions.

"Well, if you're not going to tell me where we're going, then I'll just have to make my own fun."

"What does that mean, exactly?" he asked with an appropriate level of apprehension.

"Oh nothing. You won't tell me what I want, so I reserve the right to keep you in the dark."

"There's absolutely nothing bad that you could get up to in the next fifty-five minutes, so I think I'm safe."

"You sure about that?" He side-eyed her, but shrugged.

"I guess I'll find out."

Lorelai snagged her purse from the floor between her feet and pulled her CD organizer out. She flipped through a few before finding the perfect soundtrack for her plans and popped it into the player. Luke grimaced, but didn't object when the sounds of jazzy club music filled the cab. He shook his head amusedly, but stayed focused on the road when Lorelai slid right next to him on the bench seat and dropped her hands primly in her lap.

Unbeknownst to Luke, for the remainder of the trip, Lorelai had decided to torture him. He had no idea what he was up against.

It started with a stroke of her hand up this thigh. He dropped his hand down to hold hers, mostly to keep it still, but also as a show of affection.

When Lorelai tired of this, she brought her hands back to her own lap, resting them on her bare knees and dragging her fingers up and down sensually. She did this until she knew she had at least some of Luke's attention, and then used those same lithe fingers to draw the already short hem of her black skirt even higher, revealing more and more of the pale skin of her thighs.

"Lorelai," Luke warned. She looked up at him innocently.

"What's the matter?" He shook his head.

"Behave."

"Where the fun in that?"

She reached between her legs and stroked one finger up and down her lace-covered slit, making sure to hike her skirt up high enough so Luke could plainly see what was going on under there if he bothered to look.

This torture continued for a while; Lorelai touching herself, teasing Luke, moaning into the cab while the sultry music echoed around them. Luke's grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles were white. His eyes focused out the front window, but he barely saw where he was going, he was so distracted by what Lorelai was doing next to him.

At one point, she shifted back away from him, and he was sure she was going to take a break from teasing him. Instead, she sat back against the door and opened her legs so he could see everything from his vantage point. This is when she pushed her underwear aside and began to circle her clit and dip a finger in and out of her impossible wetness.

She could see just how affected Luke was by her antics. He wasn't doing a good job of hiding it. His jeans were beginning to show the strain of his erection, and a sheen of sweat had appeared on his brow.

Lorelai was so enjoying what she was doing to him, that she barely noticed the time and miles flying by.

"Five minutes away. You might want to straighten yourself out," Luke said, his voice strained. He cleared his throat and Lorelai grinned at her success. She righted herself in her seat and pushed her skirt back down to an appropriate length.

"You doin' okay over there, Doll?" she teased lightly. He set his jaw in a hard line and stared out the front window, not engaging. She smiled, feeling content that she had not only entertained herself, but thoroughly frustrated her handsome boyfriend in the process. Mission accomplished.

When Luke pulled up to the hotel, his whole body seemed to radiate tension. Thankfully, his erection had waned and he felt he was decent enough to get out of the truck. Lorelai, on the other hand, looked like sex incarnate, although there was a small chance that was just his perception.

Wordlessly, Luke grabbed their bags from the bed of the truck while Lorelai looked around at the beautiful surroundings. The hotel itself was impressive, but across the road was a marina and the most incredible view of the Atlantic as the sun began to dip below the horizon beyond the mouth of the harbour. She couldn't wait to see what Luke had in store for them this weekend.

"Let's go," Luke directed gruffly as he headed for the automatic doors. It was then that Lorelai realized he seemed to truly be cranky with her. She shouldered her purse and jogged to keep up with him.

Lorelai stepped close to Luke as he approached the front desk to check in. She wrapped her arm through his, only to have him reach back with the same arm to grab his wallet, effectively shrugging her off. She bit the inside of her cheek, concerned that maybe she had gone too far. She watched quietly as Luke checked them in and collected their room keys, then led the way silently to the elevator.

Inside, the tension was palpable. Luke stared straight ahead at the doors, his teeth clenched, lips pursed.

"Luke?" Lorelai ventured.

"Just wait until we're in the room," he bit back. She snapped her mouth shut and waited out the ride to the eighth floor, then followed Luke down the hallway as he led them to room 814.

Luke pulled the door open and stepped through first, dropping their luggage at the foot of the king bed. Lorelai follow him in and set her purse on the bench in the entryway. She hung back by the door, waiting for Luke to say something.

He turned back to her and stalked down the short hallway to where she stood, waiting nervously for whatever rant he had saved up. She knew she pushed him too far in the truck. He told her to stop and she hadn't, and now she was going to hear about it. She sighed inwardly. This was so not how their weekend away was supposed to start.

When Luke approached Lorelai, he stood at his full height in front of her, imposing, and just looked at her. She looked up at him, waiting for whatever would come.

She was not disappointed.

With his hands on her hips, Luke pushed her back into the door and hoisted her up, her legs going around his waist for purchase. She could feel him hard and hot against her centre, and it made her shiver with anticipation.

"Luke," she whispered. He pushed his crotch harder into hers.

"You wanted to play games. Let's play a game," he said, a little darkly. Lorelai shuddered inwardly, only to have that feeling replaced by desire as his mouth fused with hers. She kissed him back as hard as she could, trying to match his intensity, only to have him ratchet it up several more notches.

Her skirt was up around waist and her thong barely provided the pretense of cover, so she could feel the denim of Luke's jeans against her most sensitive area. It was making her dizzy with need as Luke's tongue pillaged her mouth, drawing out every last ounce of desire she could muster. Although she was trapped between him and the door, she moved her hips as best she could, using her arms around his neck to pull her body into his over and over, just begging to be filled.

Luke stepped back a few inches and eased Lorelai back down onto the ground. Once she had her legs under her, he dropped his pants and boxers around his ankles, then hoisted her back up with his hands on the backs of her thighs. Luke reached between them and pushed Lorelai's underwear out of the way, then placed himself at her entrance, sliding easily into her soaking core. The build-up, not just in the room, but during the whole ride up here, had left her desperate for this connection. Her body betrayed her absolute desire for him.

Luke pushed her back into the door and adjusted them so her legs draped over his arms, keeping her wide open for him and aloft, while impaled by his rock hard erection. She wrapped her arms around his neck to help, but ultimately, felt completely at his mercy as he started thrusting into her, her back hitting the door harder each time he slammed into her.

Luke set up a punishing pace, not able or willing to put off their pleasure. He fucked her hard, unconcerned about the noises they made or the rattling of the door each time Lorelai connected with it. Her moans and cries told him that she was pleased with the way he was taking her, and he made no effort to change things up.

He knew within minutes that he was fighting a losing battle. His cock was harder than hard and his whole body begged for release. He wanted her to go first, if only because he didn't know if he would have the energy to finish her off after what promised to be a powerful climax.

Lorelai bucked into him each time he filled her, her hips moving as best they could to enhance and complete their connection before he retreated again. Her legs burned, spread so wide open for him, and her face flushed with heat from exertion. The coil in her stomach that told her she was nearing completion began to get tighter and tighter, until just the tiniest of stimuli could snap it like a twig.

Luke grunted and growled as he fucked her, and she watched him with rapt attention as his eyes were trained on their most intimate connection. He looked up at her and leaned in to kiss her, just briefly, before pulling back.

"You gotta come," he pled. She closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of their connection, her racing heart, every burning limb, every spark from every impact. The confluence of sensations sent her flying over the edge, and she squeezed him hard as she came around his cock, teasing his own release from him and forcing him to lose control with her.

Luke slammed into her with each grunt of his release. He barely kept his footing as his composure fell by the wayside and he became a slave to the feelings raging through his entire body. He closed his eyes and saw bursts of colours as he spasmed and jerked until he was fully spent, his member slipping out and hanging limply beneath her.

Luke breathed heavily against her as they both sought to regain control of their minds and bodies. Carefully, he eased Lorelai's legs back down to the ground, where she learned her limbs had been reduced to little more than jelly. She hugged him tightly and he wrapped his arms around her waist as they continued to breathe heavily in place.

Lorelai smiled when he dropped a kiss to the side of her head. There was her sweet Luke. He wasn't gone, just shoved to the back for a few passionate moments.

"I like this game," Lorelai rasped in his ear. She felt him chuckle against her, and another kiss to her head.

"Good thing. That's really all I plan to do this weekend," he told her. He pulled away, a lazy, satisfied grin on his lips. Lorelai giggled.

"Luke, did you bring me all this way just so you could have your way with me?"

"Would that be a bad thing?"

"God no," she said, firmly. She nodded to the bathroom. "Give me a few minutes to freshen up and we can move onto round two." Luke grimaced.

"Gonna need more than a few minutes."

Lorelai leaned up and kissed him softly. He returned it just as gently, smiling as he pulled back.

"I'm glad you're not really mad about the car thing."

"Oh, I was mad about the car thing," he told her, in no uncertain terms. "But only because I don't like to start something I can't finish."

"I'd say you finished it just fine," she said, with a look back at the door. "Out of curiosity, how many surfaces in this room do you plan to defile this weekend?"

Luke looked around and turned back to her with a nonchalant shrug. "I'm not picky."

She smiled up at him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Good, neither am I."

**XXXX**

Luke laid back on the bed with his feet dangling over the end while Lorelai straddled him. The kisses came long, slow and deep as his hands gently caressed the length of her back and down to her bum and then back again. Their tongues slipped against each other in his mouth, then hers and back again in a slow and languid dance.

After their abrupt, but not at all unwelcome fuck against the door to the hotel room, Lorelai disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up while Luke went about unpacking their bags. It didn't take him long, and he eventually sat down on the end of the bed and turned on the television to catch the score on the Dodgers game.

When Lorelai returned, she came straight for him and leaned down to kiss him softly. Luke smiled into it and returned the kiss with a few light pecks of his own. But when he started to pull back, Lorelai followed him down, kneeling on the bed with a leg on either side of his hips. Luke let her push him onto his back, and they settled into an easy make-out session.

"We should get dinner," Luke mumbled against her lips, only to have her kiss him even deeper and lose another five minutes.

"Dinner?" Lorelai asked, as Luke groped her ass and pulled her over his moderate erection. He was not a young man anymore, and his recovery time was slightly longer than the 15 minutes between the door and the bed, but she was making a good case for never moving again.

"Food. Sustenance," he explained into her kisses. Lorelai pulled her lips from his and he brought her down to him with a hand on the back of her neck to kiss her throat.

"Ung," she moaned softly. "What should we eat?"

"Whatever you want." His lips moved against her skin as he spoke and drove her wild. She ground down into him and smiled at his own soft grunt.

"Oyster bar," Lorelai teased. He pulled back and looked at her with narrowed eyes. "What? They're an aphrodisiac." Luke looked down between them, where her skirt had ridden up and her centre was moving sinfully against the bulge in his jeans.

"For some reason, I don't think we need help in that department." He grabbed her by the hips and pushed up into her, and she giggled. She pushed herself up into a seated position on top of him, her knees wide. She moved her hips as she spoke.

"We could order in," she suggested. Luke grabbed her hips and helped her set up a pleasing pace as he attempted to contribute to the conversation.

"We should go out. The hotel has a good restaurant if you want to stay close by," he suggested. Lorelai lifted her shirt over her head and revealed her lacy black bra. When she cupped her hands over each breast and swivelled her hips, Luke growled and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head.

"You sure you want to leave?" she asked, a pout on her lips.

"Jesus, Lorelai," he moaned. She swivelled her hips again and his grip tightened on her hips. "You keep doing that and we could die in this room for all I care."

She grinned down at him.

"You mean this?" She did it again, and Luke responded by pushing up into her harder.

"God. Come here," he demanded, grabbing her by the upper arms and pulling her back down into a heated kiss. Lorelai gave back as good as she got, as Luke's hands roamed the skin of her back. He quickly undid the clasp on her bra and broke the kiss only for a second to pull it off of her before reclaiming her lips.

"Thought you were hungry," she said between kisses.

"Starved," he confirmed. With his hands on her shoulders, he pushed her onto her back and got to his feet at the end of the bed. He grabbed her by the knees and pulled her to the edge, only to kneel down before her and bury his nose into the dampness that now consumed the lace of her thong. Lorelai let him push her legs further open, pushing the skirt up with them. He pulled the scrap of lace aside, and immediately replaced it with his tongue.

"Oh fuck!" Lorelai gasped at the sudden and welcome invasion. Luke wasted no time getting down to business. He spread her wide with two fingers and licked her clit with a combination of quick flicks and hard strokes of his tongue.

Lorelai closed her eyes and let the feeling of Luke's mouth on her take over. She reached down and pulled her knees wide, holding onto them so she was as open for him as she could possibly be. Luke took advantage of the extra space, moving his head from side to side as his tongue slipped over her engorged clit rapidly, sending pulses of pleasure through her body.

Lorelai felt she wasn't going to last long with the way Luke was ravaging her, but before she could reach her peak, he pulled back. She watched him with wide eyes, panting, as he dropped his jeans and boxers and pulled his flannel and t-shirt over his head. Without fanfare, he brought his erection to her core and dipped inside, shallowly at first, and then filled her completely on the second thrust.

"God," Luke moaned. He set up a quick pace, causing her to gasp and cry out with pleasure. Luke could see that she was fighting a losing battle, and wanted her to go over the edge in spectacular fashion. He reached down and brought his thumb to her clit, rubbing it religiously in time to his thrusts.

Lorelai began to lose her composure almost immediately. Her whole body seemed to tremble as she tumbled over the edge, losing her grip keeping her knees spread wide. As she came down, her limbs seemed to go with her, arms falling heavy to the bed and legs straining to remain open. Luke grabbed both of her ankles and put them over his shoulders as he leaned forward. Arms outstretched and braced on the bed, he changed the angle for himself, hitting her in a way that dragged the tip of his cock against her inner walls, creating a friction that was impossible to ignore.

Luke continued to thrust until his own climax was upon him. He couldn't hold back another second when he finally gave himself over to it. He filled her with several hard thrusts, and then finally stopped moving with his waning erection still inside of her.

When he regained his composure, Luke found her watching him with a satisfied grin that seemed to take over all of her features.

"Let's try the restaurant," Lorelai suggested. Luke laughed and shook his head amusedly, then dropped a kiss to her ankle over his left shoulder.

"Restaurant it is," he agreed.

**XXXX**

Lorelai came to consciousness with a deep breath. Her body ached in the most incredible way after their first night in the hotel.

After dinner they had returned to the room for the evening. Luke lived up to his promise of unlimited sex, bringing her to climax twice more before they fell heavy into the sheets, too exhausted to do anything else but sleep like the dead and hope to be able to move in the morning.

She smiled in remembrance of the way he had worshipped her body. It seemed like he touched and tasted every part of her. There didn't seem to be an off switch for her desire for Luke, and she was relieved to find him similarly undone by her.

As she blinked her eyes open, she found the room dimly lit by early morning light. A cursory glance at the clock told her it was just after 7:30. She rolled over to see if Luke was still in bed, only to hear the shower turn on and confirm that he was already up.

Lorelai laid back in the sheets and stretched her arms and legs wide, taking advantage of the king-sized mattress that she could not reach either side of and luxuriating in the soft Egyptian cotton against her bare skin. She found Luke's side was still warm as she curved herself into his spot and breathed deeply, smelling him on the pillow. She smiled at his scent, and was unsurprised to feel stirrings inside of her. This weekend had become all about the sex, and her body was on a hair trigger.

Hearing the shower running, Lorelai decided now was as good a time as any to get in their first romp of the day. She pulled the sheets off her naked body and padded to the bathroom, pushing the door open as quietly as she could and slipping into the steam-filled room. She closed the door behind her and headed for the shower, which had mottled glass doors that showed Luke's figure, but concealed his features.

"Jesus!" Luke exclaimed when the shower door slid open. He brought his hand to his heart. "Are you _trying_ to scare me to death?"

Lorelai giggled and stepped inside, closing the door securely behind her. Luke stood back to give her room under the spray of the rainfall showerhead.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to sneak up on you, I promise," she lied. Luke fixed her with a glare that told her he knew better, but she went ahead, unfazed. "I woke up all alone in that big bed," she pouted, bringing her hands up to his damp chest. Luke looked down at her with a small grin and brought his hands to her hips, pulling her into his body.

"I can see how that would have been traumatic for you," he teased lightly.

"Oh it was," she played along. She stroked up his chest and brought her hands around the back of his neck, tugging him gently down to her. Luke went willingly and kissed her deeply with barely repressed desire. Lorelai smiled against his mouth, pleased to find him as ready and willing as she was on this fine morning.

It was Luke who took the kiss deeper, opening her mouth and sliding his tongue inside. She let him take the lead as water coursed over their closed eyelids and across their naked skin. She could feel the beginnings of Luke's erection stirring between them, trapped between them as their bodies slid against each others', made slick by the constant stream of water.

Luke moaned into her mouth and pushed his hips into hers, providing welcome friction for the ache he was beginning to experience. Lorelai wedged her hand into the space and took hold of him, pumping him in time to their kisses, bringing him even further along.

Luke broke the kiss and looked down at her, breaths coming in steady puffs from his lips. In the bathroom light, his blue eyes shone bright against his damp eyelashes, making all of his features pop. His dark hair was soaked and slicked back, making him look like a heartthrob out of a fifties movie. The way he watched her, so intense, made her tingle with desire. She wanted to have every part of him, and she was sure, in this moment, he would give her anything she asked for.

It wasn't her plan, but when she found herself lowering onto her knees, she realized there was nothing in the world she wanted more than to taste him. Luke groaned loudly and braced himself with a hand on the wall as she took him into her mouth and began to work enthusiastically, combining the steady pumping of her hand at his base with twists of her head to create friction and suction that she knew would drive him wild.

"Fuck, Lorelai," Luke moaned into the space. His voice reverberated around the shower stall, and every sound he made seemed heightened. Lorelai moaned over his cock, sending an amazing vibration through his body that had him panting with barely repressed need.

He stopped himself as his hips began to move, knowing he was going to lose control too fast if he did so. Instead, he pulled back so his cock fell out of her mouth, and reached down to help her back up. Lorelai let him guide her to where he wanted her so he could finish the job properly.

Luke kissed Lorelai passionately as he backed her into the wall behind her. She held him with a hand on either side of his face, keeping him there for another long moment before he pulled back and got them into a position that he hoped would be safe in the slippery shower, without sacrificing the force that he intended to bring once he was buried inside of her.

Luke grabbed one of Lorelai's knees and hitched it over his hip and stepped between her legs. Knees slightly bent, he entered her in a long, swift stroke, causing her to gasp at the sudden intrusion. Lorelai held fast to his upper arms as he began to pull out and push back in. It wasn't as fast as either of them wanted, but Luke needed to be moving inside of her and he didn't want an accident to put an end to things.

"Wait," Lorelai said. Luke stilled and she pushed him back, causing him to fall out of her. They both groaned at the lack of contact, but Lorelai needed more and she could only think of one way to accomplish that. She turned around and leaned over, her outstretched hands bracing on the white tiled wall. Luke took the cue and entered her again from behind, holding onto her hips and keeping her steady as he quickly picked up the pace, finding this position much easier to maintain.

Lorelai reached between her legs and teased her clit as Luke surged into her from behind. Her cries were loud and sustained as the combination of sensations left her panting and begging for Luke to go _harder_ and _faster_. He doubled down on his thrusts until he was slamming into her, bringing her back into him each time he filled her to the hilt to hit even harder.

"God, Lorelai," Luke exclaimed as he hit her deepest depths. He was losing control even faster than she was, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to hold out for her. He didn't want to stop though – couldn't stop. He couldn't deny himself the release that had been building ever since she took him in her mouth.

He abandoned her hip with one hand and brought it up to her shoulder, using it to pull her even more firmly against him. Lorelai grunted each time he filled her and she could tell by the way he was panting that he was getting close. She was close, too, but she needed more.

"I'm gonna come," Luke warned. She smiled, loving the fact that she had driven him to this point. The always-so-composed Luke couldn't wait for her, and for some reason, that gave her a thrill.

"Yes, Luke. Come," she said between pants. She felt Luke's grip tighten both on her shoulder and hip and he pounded into her as his release overtook him. The sound than emanated from him was more growl than moan, and it sent shots of pleasure straight through her.

Luke barely took time to recover once his orgasm was through. Without changing her position, he dropped down onto his knees behind her and buried his face between her legs.

Lorelai continued to stroke her clit as Luke licked her throbbing hole, spreading her wide open for him as he took control of her sex. She ground down into his face shamelessly as he sucked, nipped and licked at every inch of her that he could get to.

Lorelai could feel her orgasm beginning and she picked up the pace on her clit in response. Noticing the change, Luke entered her with three fingers. He began to fuck her quickly with them while he licked and nipped at her plump cheeks and upper thighs, listening to the sounds of their combined juices inside of her as she began to shake and her release took hold. He fingered her diligently until she stopped moving and her fingers slipped away from her clit. When she dropped her forehead heavy against the tile, he eased back onto his feet, wrapping his arms around her midsection and dropping open-mouth kisses onto the dewy skin of her back.

Lorelai stayed that way for a long moment, bent over, breathing heavy until she was able to stand up without feeling lightheaded. When she did, she leaned back against Luke's strong chest and let him pull her back under the spray, where they went about soaping each other up and finishing their shower, finally ready to start the day.

**XXXX**

"So where are we going, exactly, and why am I dressed like I'm preparing for winter in Siberia?" Lorelai asked as Luke led her out of the hotel.

"If you dressed like that in Siberia, you’d be dead," Luke teased. "And to answer your question, we're going there." He pointed across the street toward the marina.

"Are we gonna steal a boat?" Luke chuckled and checked for traffic before leading them across the road.

"Close. We're gonna rent a boat and go out for a couple of hours, if that's alright with you, Ice Princess."

"Uh, sure," Lorelai said tentatively. "Do you actually know how to drive a boat? Or sail? I guess you sail a boat, right?"

"Yes, Lorelai, I know how to sail a boat," Luke sighed as they headed for the office. She hadn't stopped pestering him since they got out of the shower this morning, and as adorable as she was dressed up like Winter Barbie, she was quickly becoming annoying.

Once Luke secured the keys for the boat, he led Lorelai down to the mooring. The boat wasn't much to behold, but it was plenty for the two of them to take out for a few hours. Luke had plans to putter around until lunchtime and then return to shore.

"The Dingleberry," Lorelai read the name on the side of the boat. "Was "Testies" already taken?"

"It's just a name," Luke said, patiently. He stepped down into the boat and held his hand out to her, helping her down before pulling in the rope that tethered the boat to the dock.

"Have a seat." He gestured to the bench, hoping to get Lorelai down and quiet until he could get them out onto the water. She did what she was told, but didn't seem too keen on silence.

"So how long has it been since you drove a boat?" she asked.

"A couple years," he told her as he put the key in the ignition and the craft roared to life. He took a cursory glance over the controls, reminding himself of where everything lived, before easing the boat into action.

"Oh!" Lorelai exclaimed as they began to move. She looked around nervously as Luke carefully navigated them away from the marina and past a sea of other boats. "You're sure you know what you're doing?"

"Yes, Lorelai," he said calmly, noting that she seemed on edge. "Just relax, would you?"

She sighed. "Sorry, sorry. It's just been a while since I've been out on a boat."

"How long?" Luke asked, hoping to distract her as he eased around buoys and barriers.

"Oh, twenty-odd years."

"That is a while."

"The Gilmores weren't big on boats, unless they were 100 feet long and well staffed," she explained. Luke nodded and kept his eyes on their destination, the narrow passage that led them out of the harbour and into the open sea.

"This is probably going to be a slightly different experience," Luke noted.

"You mean you don't have a man-servant named Willy to keep me fed and watered?"

"Sorry, gave Willy the day off." He eased the boat slowly out of the mouth of the harbour and released a deep breath as nothing but the ocean lay ahead of them.

"Well that view doesn't suck," Lorelai said, getting up from the bench and coming to stand next to him. She wobbled a little with the sway of the boat, rocking gently with the swell of the waves. It was a calm day, but it would still take a moment to get their sea legs under them.

Luke smiled and looked ahead as they headed out further, relieved that she seemed to be getting more comfortable. The pair chatted easily as he put a little more distance between them and civilization.

About twenty minutes later, Luke killed the engine, letting the boat bob gently in the water about a mile from shore. He sat down on the bench seat with his arm stretched across the edge of the boat and Lorelai tucked herself into him, enjoying the soothing sound of low waves.

It was a nice day for mid-November. The sun was shining high in the sky, and although there was a nip in the air, they could feel its warmth beating down on them.

"This is beautiful," Lorelai said in a whisper, almost afraid to interrupt the moment. Luke dropped a kiss to the side of her head.

"Yeah, it is."

"How long do we have the boat for?" she asked.

"Until noon," he told her. She turned to him and quirked an eyebrow.

"Three hours?"

"Yeah. Is that okay?"

"We're on a three-hour tour?" Luke rolled his eyes.

"Lorelai..."

"Hope you packed some rations, Skipper. Or are you Gilligan? Wait. Am _I_ Gilligan?"

"If anything, you're Mary-Ann," he corrected her. She quirked a small grin.

"I guess that makes you the professor."

"I guess it does," he agreed, grinning. Lorelai giggled and settled back down into his embrace. He dropped his hand onto her arm and began stroking it up and down mindlessly.

"You never told me how you learned to do this stuff."

"It's something I used to do with my dad," he explained. She smiled. He didn't talk about his father much, but when he did she felt like she got to know him a little better. His father was such an important part of his life; he shaped who Luke was as a person, as a man. She relished any opportunity to hear about William Danes and the special bond they shared.

"Actually," Luke said, surprising Lorelai by continuing on unprompted. "This is a big part of the reason I wanted to bring you here."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. He used to bring me here as a kid. We would rent a boat with a little two-bunk cabin and go sailing for a couple of days at a time. It was one of those things we did just the two of us."

"That sounds so nice."

"Yeah, it was," he agreed. "Of course, that was all before my mom died. Once she was gone, Dad stayed pretty close to home. Liz wasn't big on the water, so our sailing trips fell by the wayside."

"That must have been hard."

"A lot of things changed after that," he said with a little sadness. "We always talked about going out again, but life kind of got in the way. You know how it goes."

"Sure."

"When my dad got sick, it happened so fast," Luke went on, surprising her with his openness. "I knew we were running out of time, so I went out and got my boating license, took a few classes, and then surprised him with a day out on the water. I don't think I had ever seen him as happy as he was that day, at least not since my mom died," he confided. Lorelai smiled and turned to face him.

"You're a good man, Luke Danes. Your dad must've been proud." He smiled lightly.

"I hope so."

"So do you still sail?" she asked.

"Sometimes. Every couple years I get the bug for it and I'll come down here and rent a boat for a day trip. Do some fishing."

"I can't believe I never knew this about you."

"It's not something I really talk about."

"I know, but we've been friends forever. I just feel like I should know more about you, shouldn't I? I mean, you know pretty much everything about me."

"That's because you have no filter," he groused. She elbowed him lightly, causing him to break out a small chuckle.

"I like learning about you. You're a bit of a mystery, you know that?"

"Well, we have our whole lives ahead of us. I'm sure you'll get one or two more stories out of me in that time." Lorelai smiled back at him brightly.

"You plan to keep me around that long?" His gaze didn't falter.

"That's the idea." Lorelai smiled as Luke dropped a kiss to the side of her neck. She dropped her head to the side and he pushed her hair out of the way as he went in for more, settling into a series of languid kisses that had her closing her eyes against the salty air and sinking even further into his embrace.

"I love it out here," she whispered. Luke smiled against her skin.

"I'm glad."

"You keep doing that and we're going to end up defiling mother nature," she warned.

"Is that a problem for you?" He kissed a little higher and took her earlobe between his lips, causing her to moan softly.

"If the boat's a'rockin’..."

"Don't finish that," he warned, his voice low and gritty in her ear. She giggled.

"Something about the motion of the ocean..."

"Lorelai," he warned. "If you want this to happen, the puns have to stop."

"Okay, okay, I'll be good," she promised. "Just don't stop what you're doing."

Luke returned his lips to Lorelai's throat while his arms came around her body. The cool temperature precluded undressing, for the most part, but that didn't faze either of them as they began to touch each other through their clothes.

When they were ready to make love, Lorelai kneeled on the bench with her arms braced on edge of the boat and her knees together. Luke pulled her pants down just far enough to gain access, and did the same to himself, releasing his erection from its confines. He pushed into her from behind, finding her tighter than usual in this position. The heat of her core was a stark contrast to the chill in the air, and it did incredible things to his body.

They rocked together with the rocking of the boat, enhancing the experience and creating something that could never be recreated on dry land. When they fell over the edge, one after the other, Luke stayed inside of her for as long as he could, in no rush to give up on the incredible feeling of her warmth that seemed to fill his entire body.

**XXXX**

When Lorelai and Luke returned to shore, both were riding high. The trip on the boat had been beautiful, and the way they touched each other made the whole thing an experience neither would forget anytime soon.

After filling up on fish and chips at a boardwalk restaurant, they headed back to the hotel. It was mid-afternoon, and there was still plenty of the day left for them to enjoy.

"What's next, Captain Stubing?" Lorelai asked as they entered through the automatic doors into the lobby.

"Actually, you have an appointment," he told her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Am I being audited?"

"Not quite." He pointed to a set of glass doors down a short hallway.

"The spa?" she questioned.

"I booked you a massage," he confirmed. She smiled back at him.

"A couples' massage?"

"Uh, no. A singles massage, where you go in alone and get pampered," he corrected her. She frowned.

"But this is supposed to be a couples' vacation. Why don't you come in with me?"

"Because I don't like the idea of being touched by a stranger," he said, simply.

"Have you ever tried it?"

"No."

"Well then how do you know what you like and don't like?" she tugged on his arm. "Come on. It'll be better with you."

"Not this time," he said firmly. "You go, have fun."

"What are you going to do?" she questioned.

"I thought I'd check out the gym." She grimaced.

"You're on vacation, Luke. You don't go to the gym on vacation!"

"Why not?"

"Because the gym is _work_ , and we're not here to work."

"The gym is only work if you don't enjoy it," he explained. She made a face.

"I seriously don't even know what I see in you sometimes." Luke rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm a real pill. Now get in there before you miss out on the hot rocks." Lorelai tried to bite back a grin, but failed.

"Fine," she allowed. "But I want you to know I'm doing this under duress."

"Noted."

She looked once more between Luke and the spa, and giggled her excitement. She leaned up on her tip-toes and dropped a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, Doll."

He winked back at her. "I'll see you in an hour."

**XXXX**

Lorelai entered the hotel room just as Luke was coming out of the bathroom, naked, save for a towel slung low across his hips.

"How was it?" he asked.

"Oh my god!" Lorelai said, passing him and going to lay on the bed. "I feel like jelly."

"That's a good thing?"

"It's amazing. I don't think I've ever felt this relaxed. You should have come with me."

"I'm glad you had a good time," he told her, coming to sit next to where she was laying.

"Did you find the gym?" she asked, eyeing his strong form. She didn't need to ask – a cursory glance showed her he had been working the muscles in his upper body.

"Found it," he confirmed. She smiled rakishly up at him.

"You look hot." He grinned down at her.

"Your hair is insane," he came back. Lorelai chuckled, not caring at all that the massage oil was making her hair do crazy things. The scalp massage was worth an extra shower.

"Small price to pay." She looked over him again. "You seem tight."

"I'm fine."

"I could give you a little rub down," she offered. Luke raised an eyebrow.

"A rub down?"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, sitting up onto her knees. "I just learned all kinds of new tricks." Luke smiled amusedly back at her.

"Didn't realize this would be such a learning experience for you."

"Come on, lay down. Let me take care of you," she urged.

"I'm really fine, Lorelai."

She shuffled a little closer until her body was right up against the side of his and reached up to caress the side of his face.

"You're going to say no to a naked lady rubbing every inch of your hard, hot body?" her voice was low, sultry, and Luke couldn't begin to pretend that it wasn't an enticing suggestion. He looked her up and down, then settled his gaze back on her face.

"I don't see a naked lady," he told her. She grinned back at him, taking the comment as consent, and backed off the bed to quickly disrobe. Luke watched her intently as she did so, his eyes raking over her body shamelessly as he took in every inch of skin that he had become so well acquainted with over the past few months.

"Lose the towel," she insisted. Luke rolled his eyes, but got to his feet anyway and let the towel drop to the floor. Lorelai grinned when she saw he was already at half-mast. She'd get to that part of him, all in good time. She gestured to the bed. "After you."

Luke gave her one last look before following her directions. He settled himself on his stomach with his head on a pillow, arms underneath it for support. Lorelai crawled to him on the bed and slung a leg over his waist, coming to straddle his lower back, just above the curve of his backside.

"You're going to enjoy this," she promised.

"I'm sure I will," he agreed.

Lorelai started by running her hands gently up and down the length of his back, getting an intimate feel for the muscles that were so well defined. His body radiated strength, which was a bigger turn-on than she ever imagined it would be. Before Luke, she didn't place athleticism high on her list of preferred traits, but Luke's body was impressive without being overly chiselled. He earned his physique with a lifetime of hard work, and it showed.

She began to apply more pressure as she continued her long strokes, putting her back into it so as not to put too much stress on her arms and wrists. Luke grunted a little when she passed a knot, and she made a mental note to go back and work it out.

"Feel okay?" she checked in after a few minutes.

"Feels great." Lorelai smiled and leaned down to place a kiss in the middle of his back before kneading away at one side, then the other.

She continued on for some time, relishing the feeling of Luke's body under her hands. She could feel his muscles loosening up and his breathing becoming steadier. She was lulling him into a light sleep, which, of course, had not been her intention. But she figured she'd let him take a few minutes, because she intended to wake him up shortly for the next phase.

Once she was satisfied that his back was well attended to, she got up.

"Roll over," she instructed. Luke did so, and opened his heavy eyes to look at her.

"You could have kept going, I wasn't going to stop you," he said with a crooked grin. Lorelai smirked.

"I'm not done." She leaned down and kissed his lips, intending for it to be a quick peck, only to have him bring a hand to her face and hold her steady as he took it deeper. She smiled into the kiss and gave into the feeling of his lips, just for a few moments. When she pulled back, Luke settled comfortably back onto the pillow with him arms at his sides and let her continue to massage him.

She started with each of his upper arms, gently massaging his overworked biceps and down his forearms to his strong hands. Luke watched her intently as she worked diligently over each digit, careful to leave not an inch of him uncared for.

When she brought her attention to his chest, she straddled him again, this time dropping her wet centre directly over his manhood, bringing him quickly from half to full mast. She smiled and moved her hips over him while massaging his shoulders and chest.

Luke kept his hands at his sides, but his hands clenched and unclenched as he repressed his desire to touch her body. He let her continue to grope and massage him for as long as she wanted, finding it to be a more arousing activity than he had anticipated.

Lorelai moved her hands down to his stomach and he jerked a little as she hit one of his ticklish spots. She chuckled and leaned down to kiss the taut skin there before going even lower.

Luke let out a hard breath as Lorelai wrapped her hand around his member and began to pump it in long, slow strokes. He closed his eyes and gave himself over to the feeling of hands on him.

Lorelai alternated between gently stroking his length and then squeezing around the head to bring more blood to the engorged organ. She smiled as his hips began to move, almost imperceptibly. She reached between his legs with her left hand and began to gently massage his testicles in her palm while she continued to stroke him.

"Mmm, Lorelai." His voice was low and gritty, causing her blood to rush to her core. She was already so wet after touching his body for so long, she couldn't wait to feel him inside of her.

She wanted to wait though, just a little bit longer. She was waiting for him to need more, to beg her for more. By the way his moans were coming and his hips were speeding up, she knew she wouldn't have to hold out for much longer.

"God," he whispered, with a jerk of his hips. He opened his heavy eyes and looked down at her, and she could see the strain on his features. She met his gaze with a sexy little smirk and he clenched his jaw in response.

"What do you want, Luke?" she asked, her voice lower. Luke swallowed heavily and pushed his hips up into her hands.

"I need you," he responded, his voice strained. She twisted her hand around the tip of his cock and he groaned. He reached out and grasped her wrist to stop the movement. "Please, Lorelai. I need to be inside of you."

Lorelai smiled and moved to straddle him again. She reached between them and used the tip of his cock to tease her clit, only furthering to enhance Luke's arousal. He moaned and dropped his head back into the pillow, clamping his eyes shut.

"Lorelai, please," he groaned. He looked up at her and found her smirking back at him. "You're evil." She put him at her entrance and sunk down onto him, taking him in fully. "Oh god, you're amazing," he corrected himself. Lorelai giggled and began to move. She braced herself on his chest and set up a slow pace, swivelling her hips on the down stroke.

"Oh, Luke," she moaned. "You feel so good."

He brought his hands to her hips and stroked them up to her chest, squeezing her breasts and brushing his thumbs across her nipples as she continued to move.

"So good," he agreed. "God, so good." He tweaked her nipples, causing her to cry out.

"Oh yes," she moaned. She dropped down onto him fully and began moving back and forth, her clit dragging over his pubic bone, teased by the hair there, the movement taking her own pleasure up several notches. Luke caressed down her body until his hands were on her hips, and he began pulling her over him while thrusting upward to increase the friction for her.

"Fuck, Lorelai. You're so sexy. So beautiful." Lorelai leaned over him and brought her hands to either side of his head so she could kiss him. Luke continued to guide the movement of her hips as their tongues dueled in his mouth.

Lorelai felt that telltale tightening in her gut as their bodies moved together as if choreographed, pushing and pulling, connecting in so many ways. She was overwhelmed by him.

When she finally lost control, she gasped into their kisses and Luke responded by bucking up into her harder, riding her through it, giving her every last ounce of energy he possessed after the incredible massage. He felt her tighten around him and fought hard to hold on until she was fully done before finally giving into his own release.

"Ung, Lorelai. God, yes!" he exclaimed as he thrust through his climax, filling her with his hot release. When he finally came down, he dropped his arms at his sides, while Lorelai rested her head in the crook of his neck, her body heavy and limbless on top of him.

"Mmm," Lorelai hummed in his ear. Luke nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed.

The stayed like that for a while longer, just breathing and feeling each other, neither particularly interested in moving on.

**XXXX**

"We're gonna be late," Luke mumbled against Lorelai's lips.

"No we won't." She kissed him harder and slid her tongue into his mouth, lapping while she deepened the kiss. He broke away.

"Checkout's in an hour," he tried again.

"Plenty of time." She dropped her lips to his neck and began traversing the well-worn path down his broad chest. Luke chuckled as she dipped below his belly button and went for the part of him that was rapidly coming to life.

They spent the night before locked in their room. After Lorelai's massage and their lovemaking, neither was in a rush to rejoin the real world, so they didn't. They ordered room service for dinner and a bottle of wine, and devoted themselves to each other until they passed out after midnight from sheer exhaustion.

When Luke woke up, the sun was already high in sky. It wasn't like him to oversleep, but a weekend of nothing but physical activity could do that to a guy. With his eyes still closed, he felt kisses being peppered across his collarbone, neck and cheeks, until she was finally kissing him. He kissed her back and she smiled against his lips, pleased to know he was finally awake.

If Luke had to rank ways to wake up for the day, he would have to place this one at the very top of the list.

Luke checked the clock and saw that it was after 9:30. Checkout was at 11, and they still had to pack up their belongings. He tried to inform Lorelai of that fact, but it seemed to do nothing to dissuade her.

"You're insatiable," he said, pulling her back up his body so she was laying half on top of him. He rolled her onto her back in a quick movement, making her giggle as he came to rest against her side, propped up on his elbow. She stroked his cheek and smiled up at him with a look that told him she loved him, even if they had yet to say the words.

"This weekend has been incredible," she told him.

"Yeah, it has," he agreed.

"I can't believe you did all of this for me. What did I do to deserve you?" Luke smiled softly.

"I think I may have gotten a little something out of it too," he suggested. Lorelai smiled down at his naked body and semi-erect member and returned back to him with a small grin.

"I guess I can't argue with that." Luke chuckled. "But seriously – thank you. I don't know if I've ever experienced anything this perfect before. Having a kid at sixteen kind of gets in the way of running away for weekend trysts."

"Well, I'm glad I get to be the guy to do it with you," he said soberly. She quirked a brow. "Dirty, I know. You don't have to say it." She giggled and pulled him down to kiss her again. Luke went willingly and deepened the kiss, taking it quickly back to the intensity Lorelai had previously set. He let his hand fall to her stomach, and then roamed upward between her breasts and back down in a repetitive motion. Lorelai's hand went to the back of his head, holding him to her as their lips moved together in a practised dance.

Without leaving her lips, Luke's hand ventured further south. Lorelai spread her legs to give him access as he slipped his middle finger along her folds, then dipped inside so he was touching her where she wanted him. Lorelai sighed into their kisses and Luke swept his tongue inside, just as his finger slipped into her heat, coming out wet. He traced his way back up to her clit and circled the nub with his moistened digit, causing Lorelai to moan a little louder.

Luke's mouth left hers as his finger continued to tease her aching centre. He kissed his way down to her breasts and then took one into his mouth, sucking and tracing his tongue around her hardened nipple. Lorelai watched him as he catered to her so gently and sighed, dropping her hands to the pillow on either side of her head and giving herself over to the way he was making her feel.

Luke moved to her other breast to lave it with affection, and at the same time, dipped two fingers inside of her. She was warm and wet, and he was more than tempted to bury himself inside of her, but he wanted to make this last. As his mouth worked wonders over her chest, he set up a steady pace with his fingers, curling them inside of her and making her hips move unbidden.

Lorelai tried to steady her breathing, but it was no use as Luke pleasured her. Her body was responding wildly to Luke's ministrations and she was torn between wanting to let him take her over the edge with his fingers, or whether she wanted to come on his cock. Part of her knew that if she let him keep going, both options were within reach.

She parted her legs wider to give him more room to work, and tangled her hands in his hair, holding him to her breast as he continued to suck and swirl his tongue around her nipple in just the right way. She breathed out, panting and beginning to shiver and shake as her senses were overwhelmed. Luke curled his fingers and sped up the pace as he felt her losing control. He curved his hand so he didn't lose pace, while bringing his thumb to her clit, knowing it was the last piece of the puzzle to bring her to completion.

Lorelai's body seized at the attention to her clit. She cried out and tightened as Luke continued to work, her inner walls squeezing him as she came. She grabbed his head and urged him up from her breasts, bringing his lips to hers and kissing him hard in between gasps and moans of pleasure.

Luke continued his sweet assault on her core until her body settled back into the mattress. He retracted and pulled back to look at her, finding a satisfied smile on her face.

"Good?" he asked. Lorelai opened her eyes and looked up at him. She expected a cocky grin, but what she found was just a look of contentment. She sighed and reached up to stroke his stubbled cheek.

"Oh, Luke," she said in a breath. "C'mere," she urged. She spread her legs wider and tugged on his arm, encouraging him to climb on top of her. Luke went willingly, and didn't argue when she reached between them and placed him at her entrance.

Wordlessly, Luke pushed into her. Her set up a slow pace and rested on his forearms so their bodies were close and connected. Lorelai brought her legs up and crossed her ankles behind his back, tethering him to her as he moved. They didn't kiss. Instead, they watched each other, blue eyes fixed on blue eyes as he filled her.

Time seemed to pass slower as they made love. The only sounds that filled the room were steady breaths and the occasional whisper of a name as their bodies melded together in slow, deep strokes.

Lorelai reached up and wrapped her arms around Luke's neck and brought him down to kiss her as his tempo sped up. They were nearing the end, and with it, the conclusion of their vacation. She wanted to be connected to him in every possible way as they closed the book on what would always be one of her most treasured memories.

When Lorelai came again, it was like a whisper, the smallest release of tension exiting her body and leaving her feeling full and sated. Luke followed soon after, and she smiled at the feeling of being filled with his release.

Luke stayed put for a few minutes more as their lips moved languidly against each other's in slow kisses, only serving the purpose of putting off the inevitable. Once they left this bed, they had to go home. Real life awaited them, whether they wanted it or not. But, as they laid there with their bodies connected in the most intimate of ways, it occurred to them both that real life, as long as they were together, might not be so bad.

With a final kiss and words of affection, they rose from the tangled sheets and went about packing their bags. The vacation was over, but they had all the time in the world.


	10. Brightening a Dark Day

**Brightening a Dark Day**

**Inspired by Episode 5:10 – But Not as Cute as Pushkin**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Oh, Luke, I'm so sorry. I should've listened to you. I should've stayed out of it. You were right. I didn't think. I mean I didn't think like you would think. I thought like I would think and my thinking is sometimes very, very wrong if you're not me. And occasionally if you are me...  
[Luke kisses her]  
 **LUKE:** You keep thinking like you'd think._

**Description: Lorelai comforts Luke on his Dark Day in a way only she can.**

* * *

After Luke headed off Lorelai returned to Patty's party, but she wasn't feeling like her usual jovial self. The depth of his sadness tugged at her heart and made it difficult for her to focus on anything else.

In some ways, it was easier when Luke was mad. Anger was an emotion she understood, coming from him. He could shout and rant and complain, and that was just fine with her because eventually he would always calm down and feel better about whatever it was that upset him.

But sad...

Sad Luke was something else entirely. He could be a hard guy to reach on the best of days, but he was just so forlorn. She hadn't seen him like this many times, if ever. It made her feel awful that she hadn't noticed his Dark Day in years past. Maybe if someone had been there for him, this anniversary wouldn't hit him so hard every year.

Lorelai stayed at Patty's party for a few more songs before saying goodbye to the hostess and Sookie, taking her leave. She thought about heading to Luke's, but she wanted to respect his wishes and give him the space he had asked for. Besides, a cursory glance at the dark apartment over the diner told her that he was probably already in bed.

She made the brief walk home, pulling her coat tightly around her against the chill in the air. They were just a few hours away from December, her favourite month of the year. She idly thought that maybe she would try to make December 1st a new banner day for Luke, to make up for the pain he felt on November 30th.

As Lorelai walked up her driveway, she spared a glance at her garage with the nose of the boat sticking out beyond the front doors. She was surprised to see the storage space illuminated. Odd, she didn't remember turning on the light.

She felt a hint of nervousness as she approached, but it vanished quickly when she peered inside and found Luke standing alongside his father's handiwork. His brow was knotted, his eyes clouded with sadness.

"If you're here to steal something, I've got a few thighmasters I'm looking to offload," she joked, signalling her presence. Luke's eyes shot up; he hadn't heard her approach.

"Oh, sorry. I was just, you know..." he nodded his head toward the boat, but otherwise didn't move away from the craft.

"It's okay." She stepped inside and moved to stand next to him, looking over the boat. "It's pretty impressive that your dad built this himself."

"Yeah, it was a passion project for him," Luke told her. "We spent years working on this thing. We were planning to take it up the coast before he got sick."

"Up is good," she said quietly. He nodded and continued to take in all of his father's hard work.

"I guess I should go. Get out of your hair," he finally said after another long moment.

"Why don't you come in for a bit?" she suggested.

"I'm not really good company right now." She gave his hand a little squeeze.

"Come on. I promise I won't try to cheer you up. I'll make you some tea. It'll be bitter and unpleasant and won't do anything to improve your mood," she teased.

"Bitter and unpleasant, huh? Just like me?" he joked lightly.

"Oh, stop," she admonished. He huffed a small laugh, but let her take his hand and pull him away from the boat. She flicked off the light in the garage before leading them to the house.

Once in the kitchen, she set the kettle to boil on the stove while Luke sat at the table, his eyes glued to his hands.

The room was thick with silence, which was never something Lorelai was particularly comfortable with. She bit her tongue long enough for the water to boil and made his tea. She poured some for herself with milk and sugar to offset the all consuming "tea-ness" of it all.

The pair sat at the table quietly for a while, just sipping their tea and letting the moments tick by.

Finally, with his mug half empty, Luke spoke up.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Lorelai's eyes shot up from her cup.

"I was trying to be respectful," she said.

"Well, it's weird. You talk constantly, I'm not used to silence anymore," he teased gently. Lorelai smiled at that, a little relief fluttering within her.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just talk about something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Tell me about Patty's nutty party."

"Oh, it was great. Lots of dancing and singing and audience participation. You would have hated it." Luke nodded his agreement and sipped his tea, letting Lorelai continue to fill the silence.

"She performed a few Broadway hits for us, and was fabulous, as always. Makes me wish I was there to see her perform as a young woman. She must have some something."

"I bet," Luke agreed.

"But I kind of like Stars Hollow Miss Patty, you know? A lifetime of stories. There's nobody quite like her. I didn't stay for too long, but when I left I think she was trying to make Joe Hagelman husband number five."

"Isn't Joe still married to Florence?"

"Oh yes. But Patty always says the men who make the best husbands are the ones who are already married." She stopped talking briefly and eyed Luke, who was working on the last of his tea. "I wonder if she was like that in her younger days. She probably would have set her sights on William Danes," she tested. He smiled weakly at that.

"Oh, she did," he allowed. "His biggest regret in life was opening up the hardware store across the street from her studio." Lorelai laughed brightly, imagining an older version of Luke trying to skirt around a young and virile Patty.

"What was he like, your dad?" Lorelai asked. Luke sighed a little sadly, toying with his now-empty cup in his hand.

"He was dedicated, reliable. A little rough around the edges, but kind. Would give you the shirt off his back," Luke said. He thought a moment, and Lorelai gave him the time to formulate his words. "I just remember him always being there, you know? Even when he got sick, he would do anything for anyone. Especially me and Liz."

"Sounds like someone I know," Lorelai said, giving his leg a little nudge with her foot.

"He was everything I wanted to be," he told her. "When my mom died, it broke him. But he'd never let us see it," he frowned as he let his mind wander back to those moments. "The only reason I know is because I heard him crying in his room some nights. He wanted to be strong for us. He wanted us to believe everything was going to be okay."

"He sounds like a great dad," Lorelai said. Luke nodded, his sadness still at the fore.

"He really was." Lorelai frowned, sensing that Luke was done talking about it. But she wasn't ready to let it go, to let him sink back into his funk.

"Luke, I'm going to say something. And if you don't want to hear it, then just tell me and I'll never mention it again, okay?" He eyed her skeptically, but allowed her to continue.

"You've been going through this for a long time. And I know that you're used to doing this alone, having your 'Dark Day', but I just want you to know that it doesn't have to be this way. I'm here now, and I don't want you feel like you have to go off and hide when you're hurting. I want you to let me in."

Luke sighed, but didn't say anything.

"Just think about it, okay?" she pushed. "We don't have to talk about it right now."

"I do want that," Luke finally said. "I want to let you in." She smiled and reached out, putting a hand over his.

"That's all I want," she said.

"You might have to remind me about this conversation next year," he told her.

"I can do that." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "You want to go to bed?"

"I should probably go home," he argued. She fixed him with a glare.

"What did we just talk about?"

"Right," he allowed with a small grin, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Okay, yeah, let's go to bed."

He allowed her to take his hand and lead him upstairs to her bedroom, where they changed into their customary nightwear and slipped under the covers. Luke turned away from her, facing the window, and Lorelai let him go. She figured it was enough of a win to get him to spend the night; she didn't need to push her luck. She closed her eyes and turned onto her side away from him, hoping sleep would find them both quickly.

She did doze off for a little while. The red numbers on her clock jumping from 10:30 to 11:20 told her as much. She stirred at the sound of something unusual, and turned over to see Luke. He was still turned away from her. She heard him sniffling, obviously trying to stay quiet.

She shifted closer to him, sidling up against his hard back and wrapping an arm over him, resting her palm flat against his chest and holding him close. She could feel him try to stifle himself, but soft chokes still escape his lips for a few moments longer.

She just held him as he went through it. His hand came over hers on his chest, holding it tightly to him, and she hoped he was finding comfort in her presence.

After a few moments, Luke turned onto his back and Lorelai shimmied backward to make room for him.

"Sorry," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"Oh, Hon. Don't apologize." Lorelai shifted up onto her elbow so she could see him more clearly in the moonlight. His eyes were a little puffy, his lips drawn into a tight frown.

"God, I really should have gone home tonight," he admonished himself, wiping furiously at the tears that still glistened on his cheeks. "Maybe I should go. Let you get some sleep."

"No, Luke. You're exactly where you're supposed to be," she said firmly. He peered over at her in the dark, sadness etched on his features. Lorelai felt her heart breaking for him, and so she did the only thing she could think of to try and hold all of the pieces together. She cupped his cheek in her hand and leaned in, kissing him softly, swallowing what was left of his protests. He didn't put up any resistance, allowing her take the lead.

Lorelai pulled her lips from Luke's and began to place kisses on his cheeks, tasting the remaining saltiness of his tears. She moved lower, peppering kisses as she went, before taking up residence on his neck. She let a hand go lower, slipping it under the hem of his shirt and pushing underneath it, feeling the hard planes of his stomach and chest.

Lorelai moved lower and pushed his shirt up so she could kiss the skin that was revealed underneath. She was unhurried in her movements, kissing and tasting every part that she could reach. Luke briefly engaged to pull his shirt up and over his head before laying back down, allowing her to continue her ministrations.

When Lorelai moved lower, Luke lifted his hips so she could pull his sweats and underwear off. His eyes fluttered closed and he lost himself in the feeling of her lips and hands on his body.

Lorelai kissed her way down his stomach and lower abdomen, and then down to his upper thighs. She nudged Luke's legs apart so she could settle in between them as she dipped down to take his erection in her mouth.

She set up an unhurried pace, tasting and testing as she went. She swirled her tongue around the tip, then popped him out of her mouth and licked the vein along the underside of his shaft, before taking him back in. She began to pump him with her right hand while her mouth worked above it, giving his full member the attention that she couldn't quite offer with just her mouth.

Luke moaned quietly and Lorelai smiled around him, proud that she could bring him pleasure in the midst of his pain. Through it all, his arms remained prone at his sides, though a quick glance at his hands groping at the bed sheets showed her that he was more than a little affected by what she was doing to him.

She continued to work on his member, reaching down underneath and cupping Luke's testicles, pushing them into his body to enhance his pleasure as she licked and sucked the first few inches of his length.

"Lorelai," Luke whispered, it was almost a moan. She peered up and saw him looking down at her, his eyes heavily lidded with arousal and exhaustion. She met his gaze as she continued to do her best work on him, and he moaned again. "Lorelai," he said again. "Stop."

She popped off of him and looked at him questioningly.

"Everything okay?" she asked, hoping she hadn't overstepped by taking their night down this path.

"Come up here," he said quietly. She crawled back over his body, hovering over top of him. He leaned up and caught her lips in a searing kiss, holding her face delicately in his hands. Lorelai straddled his waist and ground her core against him through her sleep shorts. He reached down and put his hands on her backside, pulling her over him again and again, building an incredible heat between them that Lorelai wanted nothing more than to explore – but that wasn't her goal when she started this. She wanted to offer him a release. She hadn't expected reciprocation.

"Luke," she murmured against his lips. "Let me take care of you." She pulled back so she could see his face. His blue eyes shone in the moon-lit room, but the sadness was masked by his arousal, which she considered an improvement.

"I just want you," he said, punctuating his words by dragging her core over him again. She moaned at the sensation.

"Anything you want, Babe. I’m all yours," she told him. He jutted his chin up toward her, inviting her back down to kiss him again.

She let herself sink into the feeling of his lips under hers, and slipped her tongue between them to meet his in a slippery dance. Luke's hands went under her shirt, stroking the expanse of her back in gentle circles. She continued to grind down into him, keeping both of their arousals alive.

After a few moments, Lorelai got up just long enough to divest herself of her pajamas, before returning to her position on top of him. She placed his erection at her entrance, dipped it in and back out, using his tip to paint her with sex with her own wetness. She ground down over his full length as it slipped easily between her folds, rubbing against her clit in the most intoxicating way, making them both slick and ready for more.

Luke put his hands on her hips as she placed him at her opening once again. He helped her slide down onto him in a long, smooth stroke, coming to rest with him deep inside of her. They both sighed at the feeling of being connected again.

Lorelai rested her hands on Luke's chest as she began to move back and forth on top of him, keeping him deep inside as she ground her core against his body over and over. Luke reached up as she did so, alternating between palming her breasts and tweaking her nipples gently with his fingers. They kept this slow, exploratory pace for some time, just feeling each other, sinking into the experience of being one.

When Lorelai began to feel like she needed more, she leaned forward, laying her body flush against his, her nipples tempted and teased by the hair on his chest. She kissed him soundly as her hips began to move faster over him.

Luke circled her waist with his arms and began to thrust upwards into her, moaning and grunting against her lips as he went.

It didn't take long at this angle, and at this new pace, for Lorelai to feel her orgasm begin to build. Her sensitive clit was rubbing hard against Luke's body, and he was thrusting so deep inside of her, it created an incredible mix that brought her up in a way that had become all too familiar since she and Luke began their physical relationship.

She cried out his name as she went over the edge and ground down into him, moving her hips as hard and fast as she could with his arms still locked tightly around her. At the same time, Luke sped up his thrusts inside of her, and he kissed her passionately, a hand grasping her shoulder and pulling her harder down onto him as he spent himself inside of her.

The two continued to move together, almost unwittingly, as they both came down from their heights.

When their movements finally ceased, Lorelai laid her head in the crook of his shoulder, kissing the skin of his neck almost as a reflex, tasting the salty sweetness of the sweat that had begun to build up there.

She preferred the salt of his sweat to the salt of his tears.

It took another few moments for Lorelai to disengage and ease herself off to Luke's side. He pulled her in close to him, hugging her tightly as she laid her head on his shoulder. She let him hold her until she heard his breathing become steady, and a soft snore that told her he was finally asleep.

Careful not to rouse him, Lorelai disentangled herself from his grasp, getting out of bed to clean herself up in the bathroom. She glanced at the clock before leaving the room.

It was 12:25. Luke's Dark Day was finally over.


	11. The Town Whore

**The Town Whore**

**Inspired by Episode 5.11 – Women of Questionable Morals**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Why are the re-enactors staring at me? **  
LUKE:** You wouldn't believe it if I told you. **  
LORELAI:** The Reverend is blushing. Why is he blushing? **  
LUKE:** I'd walk out of here is I was you. And try not to walk too sexy. **  
LORELAI:** Okay. You'll explain that to me later? **  
LUKE:** I'd enjoy that._

**Description:** **The town whore revelation provides inspiration for a night of debauchery with Lorelai and Luke.**

* * *

"Working girl," Lorelai posed.

"Call girl," Luke came back.

"Strumpet."

"Lady of the evening... what the hell is a 'strumpet'?"

"It's another word for hooker."

"Never heard that one before."

"Did I just learn you something new?" Lorelai teased.

"God, I hope not."

"I can't believe that's what they were doing when I walked into the diner this morning. I feel so violated," Lorelai joked.

It was night of the first snowfall of the year, and Lorelai was busy at work making the costume for the new town whore. She had been using the project as a distraction from her very own version of _Lorelai's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day_ , but her heart really wasn't in it.

Knowing that she was a bit down in the dumps, Luke made a point of coming over after work to bring her some food and offer a break from sewing. After dinner, they retired to the living room, which is where they were now, brainstorming creative titles for the Stars Hollow whore.

"Can you believe after all these years they're just now finding out that a prostitute was the reason we didn't have a big battle here in Stars Hollow? How did they miss that?" Lorelai asked.

"They missed it because never happened," Luke said, in his typical curmudgeonly fashion. "There was no whore, there was no general, there was no reason for those men to stand out in the snow all night, and there is no reason for us to continue to celebrate the big night of nothing 200 years later."

"Come on, Luke. There must be a part of you – a tiny, infinitesimal part – that enjoys our crazy little town traditions," Lorelai pushed.

"There is not," he assured her.

"Well then can you at least appreciate that the story now includes a hooker? Because that's just fun for the whole family."

"I will admit, that gives me a small amount of joy," Luke allowed. Lorelai laughed heartily and Luke chuckled. "Our crazy town," he muttered.

"Ah, you love it," she teased, punching his shoulder lightly. He rolled his eyes, but didn't disagree. "Besides, now we get to know more about Andrew's proclivities."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Luke visibly shuttered. "Just once – _just_ _once –_ I wish those conversations would happen at Weston's instead of in my diner."

"But then you wouldn't get all the hot goss, and don't you want the hot goss?"

"I could do without the _hot goss_ if it meant not knowing that Andrew likes beefy women."

"Well at least now you know who to hire for his bachelor party."

"You're assuming there's a woman in the world that will ever want to marry him."

"Oh, now. Andrew isn't so bad."

"Do I have competition?" Luke joked.

"I wish. I'm too skinny, remember?" Luke laughed lightly.

"You're nuts. He's nuts. This whole town is nuts."

"And yet here you are, fraternizing with the honorary leader of the loony bin. What does that make you, mister?" she poked him in the chest to emphasize her point.

"A hostage," he said, not missing the beat. Lorelai giggled and leaned in, kissing his scruffy cheek.

"At least I'm a fair and magnanimous captor."

"I guess I'm lucky then," he told her, giving her that small, sincere smile he seemed to save just for her.

"You are! Of course, if you're unsatisfied with me, I'm sure we could find a _lady of the night_ more to your liking," Lorelai posed, jokingly.

Luke laughed sharply. "Right."

"What? You get a little action. She gets a little spending money. That's a win-win, my friend."

"I never thought I needed to pay for action," was his simple answer. Lorelai quirked a small grin at that.

"Well that goes without saying. You are a very attractive man," she flirted.

He smiled. "Glad you think so."

"Besides, you seem like more of a high class escort kinda guy," Lorelai teased.

"Only the best will do. And, for the record, I could never be unsatisfied with you." He made a show of flitting his eyes down her form and back up again. Lorelai felt herself flush under his appraising gaze.

"Does the offer to leave something on the nightstand for me still stand?" Lorelai asked, referencing their conversation from that afternoon. Luke raised his eyebrows.

"You actually like the idea of being reduced to a piece of meat, don't you?" he asked. She shrugged one shoulder.

"I have no qualms with that." Luke grinned and looked over her figure again.

"Well in that case, I suppose I could be persuaded. As long as you're feeling up to it. I know you've had a rough day."

"What better way to improve it than this?" She jutted out her chin for a kiss, which Luke willingly took advantage of. It started out gently, but the action ramped up quickly. Luke's hand came up to cradle her head as he delved in for more, tasting her and seeking greater access. Before he had a chance to take them even further, Lorelai reared back and jumped to her feet. He watched her curiously.

"Wait here!" she exclaimed, making a beeline for the stairs. Luke watched her go, both amused and confused by her antics. But he knew his woman, and once she got an idea in her head, it was hard to dislodge it. He settled back onto the couch and waited as patiently as he could for her return.

Several moments later, he heard her call from the top of the stairs.

"Close your eyes!" Luke laughed silently and did as he was told. "Are they closed?"

"They're closed," he confirmed.

Lorelai took the stairs as quickly as her five inch heels would allow, then made for the kitchen. Luke opened his eyes when he heard the back door open and close. Then, a moment later, a knock came at the front door.

Shaking his head, Luke got up to investigate. Sure enough, Lorelai was standing on the other side waiting to be let back in.

"Hi, I'm Mindy. The escort service sent me over," she said in a high-pitched voice. Luke looked around to see if any of her neighbours – namely, Babette – were watching. Satisfied there were no witnesses, he stepped aside so she could enter.

"Come on in." He closed and locked the door behind them. "So, what escort service is it, exactly, that you work for?"

"Whores R Us?" she asked in a questioning tone. Luke bit back a laugh.

"Very on-the-nose."

"We aim to please," she told him.

"Is that your motto?"

"Something like that."

"So, Mindy, not to be difficult, but is it okay if I call you Lorelai tonight?" He was pretty much willing to let Lorelai play this out how she wanted, but that was going to be a sticking point for him.

"That's a little kinky, Honey. It'll cost you extra," she told him. Luke bit back a grin.

"I think I can swing it."

"Well then you can call me anything you want." She punctuated the point with a toothy grin that accentuated her dark red lipstick. This prompted Luke to take his first real look at ensemble Lorelai had put together.

The black trench coat was a favourite of hers; it skimmed her knees and was belted tightly at the waist. Her sky-high heels had her looking him straight in the eye, something that had always secretly been a turn-on for him. Her hair was dark and wild and framed her face in a way that made her look pre-sexed, which was not something Luke could begin to find fault with. The red lips just served to complete the total bombshell transformation.

He just had one more thing to find out. He reached out and fingered the knotted belt at her waist.

"Any chance I'm gonna get to see what's going on under here?" he asked.

"You can have whatever you want, baby," she came back in more sultry tone, dropping the register of her voice a few notches. Luke felt himself begin to stir. She was even sexier than she knew.

Lorelai reached for the belt and untied the knot, then the buttons that kept her outfit hidden from his view. When she spread the fabric apart and dropped it to the floor around her feet, Luke's jaw dropped, quite literally. She was wearing a black underbust corset with a black lace bra that barely covered her breasts, and a matching black lace thong. Her ivory legs looked miles long as they descended into the most scandalous stilettos he'd ever seen.

Luke forced his mouth to close, but Lorelai saw the heavy swallow that followed. Feeling a rush of power, she stepped toward him and put a hand on his chest.

"See something you like?" she asked.

"Jesus, Lorelai." His voice was gruff and sexy and did unreal things to her. He reached out and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her body flush with his so she could feel what she was doing to him. Looking him straight in the eye, she could see the extent to which her character was turning him on; his eyes betrayed every bit of his lust.

"Tell me what you want to do to me," she demanded. Luke's eyes narrowed as they flitted down to her cleavage and back up. He could tell she was getting off on the power, and decided he wanted a taste of that, too.

He leaned in, his lips next to her ear, and in a gravelly tone he whispered, "I want to take you upstairs and have my way with you."

He felt the shudder that ran through her body.

Her mouth was next to his opposite ear. Her response came in a breathy whisper. "Do it then."

Lorelai backed away and turned to head for the stairs, which provided Luke his first view at the back of her ensemble.

"So not fair," he grumbled, looking at the way her ass cheeks spilled out from her barely-there thong. She could have been wearing nothing and it would have been less revealing. He was forced to reach down and readjust himself in his pants, lest they become too tight to constrain his erection.

Once they reached Lorelai's bedroom, Luke's lizard brain took over. He pulled her to him and kissed her, hard, leaving no room between them to get air. Lorelai moaned into the kiss and opened her mouth, inviting his tongue to take over, which it did in short order.

Luke grasped her exposed ass and pulled her into his groin. Given their identical heights, the connection was immediate and full-on. If their clothes were not a barrier, he would be sliding into her heat right now – a fact that didn't get by him, and only served to turn him on further.

Lorelai pulled back from the kiss, but kept her arms around his shoulders.

"Tell me what you want, Baby. I'll do anything."

"Anything?" Lorelai bit her lip in a way she hoped looked sexy and nodded her consent. Luke stepped back and observed her, taking in the full picture as he tried to determine what would come next. There was an ever-growing list in his head of things he wanted to do to her in her state of partial-dress, but when it came down to it, he just wanted to get her naked. She was too damn sexy to put it off for much longer.

"First things first," Luke said. He stepped forward and brought his hands to her breasts where the sheer lace only provided the pretense of coverage. He grazed his thumbs over her hardened peaks, and she gasped at the sudden and thrilling sensation of being touched. It didn't last long enough, though, because a moment later he reached his hands around to unclasp her bra, pulling it away from her body and discarding it on the floor.

Luke caught her eyes, gauging her reaction to his first steps. Finding her lips open, chest heaving just slightly, he knew he was on the right track. He crouched down and hooked his fingers in the thin straps of her g-string, pulling the garment down her long legs. Lorelai used his broad shoulders for balance as she stepped out it. Luke sat back on his heels and looked up at her.

"Much better."

As Luke returned to his feet, he appraised Lorelai's amended ensemble. She was now fully exposed to him, with only her midsection covered by the formfitting corset. It emphasized the curve of her waist, and brought attention to the swell of her breasts. Luke nearly growled at the sight before him. It was magazine-worthy sexiness, and he couldn't wait to dive in and have his fill of his gorgeous girlfriend.

Lorelai stood still as Luke began to circle her body, taking in the full 360 view. She jumped a little when he slid up behind her and brought his arms around her torso, claiming both of her breasts in his hands.

"You're insanely hot," he murmured in her ear. Lorelai moaned and dropped her head back onto his shoulder.

"I think that's what it says on my business cards," she told him. Luke chuckled and the vibration, along with hot puffs of air hitting the exposed skin of her shoulder, made Lorelai shudder. She pushed back with her ass and could feel how the hardness in his jeans had swelled beyond a reasonable point. She reached around behind her and palmed him through the denim, smiling as he grunted and pushed against her hand.

"Looks like someone else wants to come to the party," she teased.

He squeezed both of her nipples in response, causing her to gasp and tighten her grip on him.

"Take my clothes off," he instructed in her ear. He placed a kiss on her shoulder before unhanding her and stepping back.

Lorelai turned to face him and immediately went to work on the buttons of his flannel while Luke tossed his hat away and dragged a hand through his hair to tame it. He helped her shrug off his shirt and then raised his arms for the tee to follow. Once his chest was revealed, Lorelai offered a smile that spoke of her ravenous desire to have him.

"You're so sexy." She scraped her nails all the way down his chest and abs until they landed in the waist of his jeans. Luke inhaled sharply at the sting of her nails, which left faint red marks along their path. She went quickly to work undoing his pants and dropping them to the floor. Luke kicked them away and toed off his socks as well.

Lorelai grabbed Luke through his shorts and he groaned. She was able to get a better hold on him than she had through his jeans, and it only served to heighten his desire for her.

She hooked her thumbs in his waistband and began to push them down, only to have Luke stop her.

"Wait," he said. Lorelai eyed him curiously. He nodded to the floor. "Get down there."

She smiled that sexy, sensual smile once more, and crouched down so her knees were spread open and her face was level with Luke's crotch. She looked up at him, hands back on the waist of his boxers, and he met her gaze.

"Go ahead."

She pulled his boxers down and his erection bounced in front of her face. Luke kicked the last intrusive garment away and returned to his position in front of her. She was so close, her lips glistening and red. He had visions of what it would look like to see her mouth wrapped around his shaft, and he needed to make those visions a reality.

He reached out and put his hands on either side of her face and brought her mouth to his erection. She opened up gamely, and he watched as the tip disappeared inside, then groaned as more of him followed.

Lorelai went as far as she could and then closed her lips around him, providing an incredible tightness that she knew would drive him wild. Luke held her there, at her maximum capacity, for a long moment, their eyes locked, her red lips circling his throbbing member and causing him to fight with every fibre of his being not to thrust.

He stroked a hand through her hair and pulled out. Lorelai's mouth remained open for him as he pushed back in, then out again, and repeated the process in a way that was slow and measured.

"Jesus," Luke moaned as her tongue grazed the underside on retreat. She circled the head with her tongue just before he plunged back in. Lorelai let him guide the motion, staying perfectly still for him as he delicately fucked her mouth. She sought to provide suction and lick him in a way she knew was pleasing without disrupting his pace. It was an effort of restraint, on both of their parts, that could only be possible with someone they fully trusted.

When Luke pulled back again, he waited a moment before moving back in, and Lorelai took the opportunity to lick her lips, which were faded red as a significant portion of her lipstick was left on Luke's shaft. The sight was something that nearly caused Luke to lose his Herculean level of self control.

He wanted more.

"Touch yourself," he instructed. Lorelai smirked up at him and dropped a hand between her legs and the other grasped her breast, tweaking her nipple between her thumb and forefinger. She dipped her fingers inside of herself to gather some moisture and then brought them to circle her buzzing, engorged clit.

She moaned, mouth open, and Luke filled it again with his cock.

Luke tried valiantly to maintain a measured pace as he watched Lorelai suck him and pleasure herself, but the sight was becoming too much for him to handle. He was sure he had never experienced something more erotic than this, and he could hardly believe he got to be the guy to do it.

Lorelai moaned around him and the vibrations shot straight through him. He bucked into her harder than intended, gagging her. He backed off quickly.

"Sorry," he offered. Lorelai looked up at him with lust filled eyes.

"Do it again," she demanded. Luke narrowed his eyes. "Do it again, Luke," she repeated.

He shook his head in awe. "You're something else."

She opened her mouth wide and waited, while her hand sped up the pace on her clit and her grip on her nipple tightened.

Luke dove back in and picked up the pace. He grasped her hair on either side of her head and used it as leverage to fuck her mouth in earnest. He still maintained control, careful not to hurt her, but when he gagged her he didn't retreat. It seemed to motivate her to suck harder, and finger fuck herself with greater abandon.

Luke could feel that coil in his stomach begin to tighten. The raw sexuality of the scene was catching up with him and he knew he wasn't going to last long like this.

No matter what, he was going to come inside of her.

Luke pulled out of her mouth and stepped back without fanfare. Lorelai got to her feet to stretch her legs, but continued to touch herself as instructed. Luke backed up to the bed and sat down, beckoning for her to join him.

"Get over here," he ordered. She followed quickly and with his help, straddled his legs, trapping his cock between their bodies.

Luke leaned in and captured a breast between his lips, licking, nipping and sucking until he had his fill, and then repeated the process on the other. Lorelai clung to the back of his head, holding him to her as he went, all the while she bucked against him, grinding his hardness between her wet folds and against her clit as her entire body begged to be filled.

When Luke pulled away from her breasts, he grabbed her by the back of the head and kissed her furiously, lips melding and teeth gnashing. Lorelai raised her body as they kissed and Luke reached between them to place himself at her opening. She dropped down onto him without breaking their connection.

Luke pulled back and moved his hands to her hips as she began to move up and down on his cock. She started at a moderate pace, getting a feel for him as he sat so deep inside of her. But quickly, the pace picked up and she was clinging to his shoulders as she rode him with abandon.

"God, yes, just like that," Luke encouraged her. He grabbed and groped at her ass as she bounced in his lap, bringing their skin together audibly with every new connection.

Lorelai pushed him onto his back and followed him down, bracing her hands on his chest so she could drag her clit against his pubic bone with every thrust.

In Luke's position he couldn't move his hips as well as he wanted to, but he didn't dare change a thing. Lorelai was bumping and grinding and fucking him with all of the fervor of someone who was actually getting paid to do the job, and he was in no rush to change things up.

He knew the moment she began to lose control. Her face contorted into the sexiest look of pure pleasure that was known to man, and he couldn't do anything but watch as she lost herself on top of him. She grinded hard into him with his cock deep inside of her as she worked herself into a frenzy, flying wildly over the edge as she cried and screamed into the darkness of the room. Something about the build-up left her feeling unhinged, and she gave into that feeling as she came hard around him.

Between the incredible buildup and Lorelai's earth-shattering orgasm, Luke was teetering on the edge of his own oblivion, but he wasn't done yet. The outfit, the scene, it begged for more. He was going to milk it dry, before it milked him.

Luke dropped Lorelai to the side once she had fully come down from her orgasm. He ushered her up the bed to the pillows and spread her legs wide around him. He sat upright before her with his knees wide, his cock perfectly in line with her dripping hole. Lorelai looked up at him with her flushed chest heaving, waiting for him to take control, and he did not disappoint.

Watching her breasts bounce and the look of pure desire on her face was what made this position one of Luke's favourites. As he re-entered her and set up a punishing pace, his eyes raked over every inch of her body. The dark lace corset and sky high heels just added to the overall visage of pure sexuality that was Lorelai Gilmore in the throes of passion, and Luke was sure that in a million lifetimes, he would never meet another woman who could make him come undone like she did.

He fucked her with every last bit of energy he could muster. He fucked her like their lives depended on it. He watched his cock disappear and reappear glistening over and over until his entire body was shaking with the need to release.

Meanwhile, Lorelai was nearly screaming his name. Her eyes clenched shut and then shot open as she was desperate to see him come apart. He was so absurdly sexy when he came, she didn't want to miss it.

When Luke finally did climax, he did so with deep, guttural moans and curse words that fell from his mouth unfiltered, interspersed with words of love and lust for the gorgeous woman before him. His whole body seized as he filled her, and he bucked hard with each powerful spurt that seemed to emanate from his very core.

When it was over, he was fully spent. There was not an ounce of energy, or anything else, left inside of him. Luke dropped down onto his hands and knees hovering over her, breathing ragged and heavy as he attempted to gather himself, knowing it was no use.

"I think you broke me," Luke muttered. Lorelai burst into laughter and Luke chuckled weakly. He gingerly extricated himself from her body and dropped down next to her, limbs heavy with exhaustion.

"Well that was..." Lorelai let her sentence trail off.

"That was..." Luke attempted, not finding more success. Lorelai shook her head.

"Seriously."

"This?" Luke put his hand on her corset-clad midsection. "This is, without question, the sexiest thing I have ever seen." Lorelai smiled over at him and caught his eye.

"Yeah?"

"God, yes," he said emphatically. Lorelai giggled and leaned over to kiss him.

"You're pretty sexy yourself," she complimented. "Although I haven't seen you in a corset, so I can't really say for sure if you’ve reached peak sexiness yet."

"Well hand it over, let's put this debate to rest," he teased. Lorelai giggled. She really did love post-coital Luke.

"So what do you think? Did they pick the wrong town whore?" Lorelai asked.

"Nope. Mindy's all mine. Taylor will have to get his own." Lorelai smiled and flopped over to rest against his chest, closing her heavy eyes and preparing for a much-needed nap.

"Hope they have some moderately weighted whores at Whores R Us."

"Go to sleep, Crazy Lady."

**XXXX**

When Lorelai woke up the next morning, she was greeted with a gift on the nightstand: A thermos full of steaming hot coffee and a crisp $100 bill, accompanied by a note.

_They definitely chose the wrong town whore._


	12. Let It Snow

**Let It Snow**

**Inspired by Episode 6:03 – The UnGraduate**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Last time you gathered up some of my stuff, you accidentally brought me four bras and no pants.  
**LUKE:** That could have been intentional._

**Description:** **A harsh winter storm brings Luke to Lorelai's rescue, and Lorelai to an important realization.**

* * *

It was early December, and Lorelai was staring out the front window of the parlour at the Dragonfly Inn. Her eyes were wide as the snow accumulated beyond the front porch.

The forecast had been for a foot of snow. In the grand scheme of things, a foot wasn't much. Connecticut was a snowy state, and these kinds of winter storms were not only expected, but welcomed by residents and travellers alike who lived for the days when pillowy whiteness blanketed the scenic landscape.

But as Lorelai looked out the window and watched the snow come down in giant flakes, she knew one thing to be true: the forecast was wrong. More than two feet of snow had already fallen, and it showed no signs of letting up. Worse, it was accompanied by billowing winds, which had already knocked out power to most of Stars Hollow and surrounding areas.

Thankfully for the Dragonfly and its eight guests, the inn's generator was hard at work keeping the lights on and the heat pumping. Earlier that day, staff had worked double time to load up every fireplace with dry wood, and Sookie had gone to town in the kitchen making reheatable meals for dinner and breakfast so she could get home early to Jackson and Davey.

Now it was just Lorelai and a skeleton crew keeping the place running. Michel was gone for the day, but Tobin, the night manager, had come in early so he wouldn't be travelling in the height of the storm. There were two kitchen staff left for the dinner and overnight service, as well as one housekeeper and a maintenance worker who had been working dutifully to keep the steps and a narrow path to the road cleared.

It was after 7pm when Lorelai picked up the phone and called Luke. When there was no answer in the diner, she tried his house phone. He picked up after the second ring.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, it's me," Lorelai greeted.

 _"Oh, hey. Are you still at work?"_ he asked.

"Yeah, I couldn't get out any earlier. There was too much to do to make sure everything is taken care of tonight," she explained.

 _"I bet. Are you going home soon?"_ She peered back out the window and frowned.

"I don't think so. Power's out, it'll be freezing there. Plus, I would have to find my car first under all this snow, which doesn't seem promising."

 _"So what are you going to do tonight? Stay in one of the guest rooms?"_ Luke asked.

"No, staff are bunking in all of the available rooms. I guess I'll roll out a cot and sleep in my office."

 _"You should come here. I still have power,"_ he offered. Lorelai's ears perked up at this.

"You do?"

 _"Yeah, I have a generator for the diner. Keeps the apartment running too,"_ he explained. She looked out into the darkness and sighed.

"I really wish I could, but I just don't think I can get there tonight, Hon."

 _"I'll come get you,"_ he offered.

"No, it's way too dangerous out there," she insisted.

_"I've got chains on my tires, the plow went by not long ago. I can make it."_

"I don't know, Luke. I don't even have clothes to wear there, and I need to be back here first thing in the morning. I should really just stay put," she hedged.

 _"I'll go pack a bag for you and check on the house, and I'll get you to work in the morning,"_ he promised.

"Are you sure? That's a lot to ask of you."

 _"You're not asking, I'm offering. No, I'm insisting."_ Lorelai laughed lightly at this.

"Well, if you insist."

_"I do. Give me half an hour and I'll be there, okay?"_

"Okay," she relented, relieved not to be spending the night holed up in her office. "Please be careful, and call me if you get stuck."

 _"What, are you going to come shovel me out?"_ She could hear the amusement in his voice.

"I'll send good vibes," she offered.

 _"Oh, well, if_ good vibes _are on the table."_

"I'll see you when you get here. Drive safe."

_"See you soon."_

**XXXX**

Once he hung up with Lorelai, Luke bundled up as quickly as he could, trading in his ballcap for a toque, fingerless gloves for warm leather ones, and his work boots for snow boots. His army jacket, scarf and a warm vest completed the ensemble. He knew what was waiting for him outside, and the last thing he needed was frostbite. He snagged his old duffel bag so he would have something to pack Lorelai's clothes in when he eventually made it to her place.

Before leaving, he made a pit stop in the diner to collect a few things for his journey, and then headed out to the alley behind the building where his truck was parked. Even though he had been periodically clearing the truck and shovelling out the space all night, it was already covered again, and the truck bed was overflowing with snow.

He took a few minutes to deal with the immediate issue before climbing in and turning on the heater to full blast. His gloves were soaked, so he shed them and held his hands up to the vent for a moment before putting his truck in gear and heading out of his spot.

The alley had been cleared almost an hour before, but the snow was coming down too quickly for road crews to keep up with it. The old truck groaned and creaked as Luke forced it through the snow that tried to slow him down. As he eased out onto the main road, he saw that it wasn't much better than the alley. Obviously, the plow had been by more recently, but it was no match for the storm.

Luke's first stop was Lorelai's house. It took him more than ten minutes to make the two-minute drive around the bend, stopping and starting and gunning his way through drifts of snow that had piled into the street.

When he finally made it there, he parked on the street, knowing better than to attempt the unshovelled driveway. He threw his duffel over his shoulder and grabbed his shovel from the truck bed to clear a path from the road to the door. Halfway there, he realized the 30-minute deadline he'd given Lorelai was wildly optimistic. He'd be lucky to get there in an hour.

When he finally made it to the door, he fumbled for the housekey Lorelai had given him a few weeks into their relationship. He'd never used it before, and now it was lost among a sea of other keys on his ring.

Once inside, he found the place pitch-dark. Almost no light was filtering in through the windows, encased with snow. He cursed himself for not grabbing his flashlight from the truck before trudging to the house, but he couldn't find it within himself to go back out for it. He figured he knew his way around well enough that he wouldn't need it anyway.

He carefully navigated his way to the stairs, bumping into a few things on the way, but getting there mostly unscathed. He carefully ascended, gripping the railing tightly to keep him on track.

When he finally reached Lorelai's bedroom, he found it was just as dark as the main floor. Suddenly he was really wishing he had gone back for that flashlight. He had a general knowledge of where Lorelai kept things, but he'd never gone through her drawers before, and doing it blindly seemed like a poor choice.

Luke sighed and pulled open the top drawer. He grabbed a handful of clothes and stuffed them haphazardly into his duffel bag before moving down to the next drawer and repeating his unscientific process.

When he finally felt he had enough for the night and the next morning, he zipped up the bag, and carefully headed for the door.

Stepping back outside, the wind whipped around the trees and sent frozen flakes of snow flying against his face, stinging his skin on impact. He quickly locked the door before grabbing his shovel and making his way back to his truck. It had only been parked there for twenty minutes or so, and it was already covered in snow again. He sighed, tossed the bag inside and grabbed his snowbrush to clear the windshield.

**XXXX**

Lorelai sat in the parlour peering out into the darkness with her cell phone clutched in her hand, nerves whirling in her stomach as she watched for Luke's arrival. She had expected him thirty minutes earlier, and every minute that passed took her anxiety up another notch.

She could barely see anything outside, and almost jumped out of her skin when the front door of the inn pushed open and Luke came through.

"Thank god, I thought I was going to have to send out a search party," Lorelai said, coming to greet him. She reached behind him and pushed the front door closed against the whistling wind before backing up to inspect him. He was soaked to the bone, his cheeks and nose rosy-red. He was carrying two large boxes

"What's all this?" she asked.

"Breakfast," he said simply.

"What?" she reached out and opened the top box, seeing rows and rows of muffins filling the parcel. "Luke, what did you do?"

"It's no big deal," he insisted.

"You made muffins for us?"

"I was making them for the diner, but I'm not gonna be open for breakfast tomorrow. You've got an inn full of people, I figured they shouldn't go to waste." Lorelai listened as he mumbled through his explanation, a smile coming to grace her features.

"You made muffins for us," she said again. Luke sighed and offered her a small smile.

"I'm gonna take these to the kitchen, then we can get out of here," he told her, stepping around her and heading for the back. Lorelai let him go and peered back out the window. When he returned, she spoke again.

"Where is your truck? I didn't see you come up."

"I couldn't get it up the driveway, you're plowed in. I'm parked out on the road," he explained.

"Great," Lorelai sighed. "Connor has been trying to keep a path cleared, but he's a one-man show tonight. I feel bad asking him to go out again," she said with a frown.

"Don't worry about it, I cleared the path on my way up. Should hold for another hour or so," Luke told her nonchalantly. Lorelai looked up at him adoringly.

"What did I do to deserve you?" Luke brushed off the compliment and gestured toward the door.

"You ready to get out of here?"

"Yes! Just let me grab my coat and tell Tobin I'm leaving."

Luke waited by the front door while Lorelai disappeared back into her office, and then to the front desk to say her goodbyes. Finally, she met up with him and the two headed out into the storm.

**XXXX**

"I have never been this cold!" Lorelai exclaimed as she and Luke made their way into his apartment almost thirty minutes later. They pair began to peel off their soaking outerwear only to find the rest of their clothes just as wet.

"Do I still have all of my fingers?" Luke asked, holding his shivering hands out to inspect them.

"You'd better, I wasn't done with them yet," Lorelai said, a sly smile on her lips, which were purple, teetering toward blue.

"No time for dirtiness, we need to warm up," Luke told her, heading for the kitchen. He turned on a burner on the stove and hovered his hands over it with Lorelai hot on his heels.

"Hey, who says you can't do both at the same time," she teased, mimicking his stance over the burner. "God, it's freezing. I thought you had heat in here!"

"It's an old building, it's drafty," Luke explained. He nodded toward the bathroom. "Why don't you go take a shower, it'll warm you up quicker than the stove will."

"Oh, that's a good idea," Lorelai agreed. She backed away from the stove and began peeling her wet clothes over her head. Luke didn't even watch as she stripped to nothing before him, too preoccupied with this own chill to fully appreciate the view.

He heard the shower come on a moment later, and decided it was time to get out of the remainder of his sodden clothes. He peeled them away from his skin with effort and headed for his dresser, where he snagged his warmest pair of sweatpants, fresh socks, and a long-sleeved shirt. After towelling off, he pulled them on, feeling better just being in dry clothes. He collected the articles he and Lorelai had discarded and laid them out near the radiator to dry.

He returned to the kitchen and went about putting on a pot of coffee and boiling water for tea, anticipating that would be Lorelai's next request as soon as she made it out of the bathroom.

She emerged a few moments later, wrapped up in a towel.

"Hey Luke, you packed a bag for me, right?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, here." He grabbed the bag from where he had dropped it beside the door and brought it over to her in the bedroom. Lorelai opened it up and started rifling through the contents. She began laughing as she went through item after item. "What?" Luke asked.

"What did you do?" she asked through her giggles. She grabbed the bag and turned it over, dumping it out on Luke's bed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Luke, there's nothing in here!" she exclaimed, still laughing.

"Of course there is, I filled it up," Luke defended.

"Look at this," she said, sifting through the articles on the bed. "Four bras, six pairs of underwear, three tee-shirts, a fifteen-year-old turtleneck, and two pairs of socks."

Luke felt a flush rising up the back of his neck and settling over his cheeks.

"It was dark," he offered lamely, sending Lorelai into another fit of giggles. He found her laughter contagious, as he so often did, and couldn't help the grin breaking out across his face.

"Oh my god, there are no pants!" Lorelai exclaimed through her laughter. "Four bras and no pants!"

"Well, you can make that work, right? You're very fashion forward," he teased, joining her in her laughter. Lorelai rounded the bed and came to stand in front of him, dropping her head onto his chest as she tried to control herself. He wrapped his arms around her, sharing his warmth as the two settled down.

"I can give you something to wear to bed," Luke offered after a long moment. Lorelai pulled back and looked up at him with a grin.

"Oh no way, you packed the bag, I've got to wear something in there," she told him. His brow furrowed as she headed back to the bed. She dropped the towel and grabbed the oversized turtleneck that Luke had packed and pulled it on over her cool body, before reaching for a pair of Yogi Bear underwear and donning those as well. She turned to Luke once she was dressed and put her arms out, as if modelling the outfit for him.

"Well?" she asked. "What do you think? Is this how you like your ladies?" He grinned at the spectacle and nodded.

"Yes, that's exactly what I envision when I'm sleeping alone at night," he joked. She laughed and made her way back over to him.

"You're kind of great, you know that?" she asked, still smiling. Luke leaned down and captured her lips in a soft kiss.

"Right back at'cha." He nodded back toward the kitchen. "How about some coffee? It's the least I can do after leaving you pantsless."

"I won't say no to that," Lorelai agreed. Luke gestured for her to sit comfortably on the couch while he prepared her cup as well as some tea for himself. He put a little nutmeg in her coffee to spice it up, just the way she liked it, and brought it back to her, settling down beside her with his cup.

Lorelai inhaled the dark, rich brew deeply and let it out slowly before taking a sip, feeling the warmth course through her veins. She let out an appreciative sigh and wrapped both hands firmly around the cup, allowing its heat to radiate through her.

"Good?" Luke asked.

"The best," she told him, sipping again. Luke smiled over at her and put a hand on her bare knee.

"Geez, you're still freezing," he noted, feeling the chill of her skin. He set his tea down and grabbed the blanket off the back of his chair, spreading it over their legs and making sure to tuck it in around her so she was well guarded against the nip in the air.

Lorelai regarded Luke closely as he did this, a familiar feeling of warmth coming over her. This time, she knew it wasn't the coffee or the blanket. This was all Luke.

As he sat back, he grabbed his tea and the remote.

"You want to watch a movie or something?" he offered.

"Luke, I love you," she said in response. Luke's eyebrows shot up, as she proceeded to babble. "You just… you take such good care of me, and you're so good to me. And today you've basically been my own personal Superman. And look, I understand if it's too soon for you to hear this, so please don't feel like you have to say it back. I've just been feeling this way for a long time, and I needed to tell you."

"Lorelai," Luke cut her off. She clamped her lips shut and chanced a look in his direction, finding a smile on his lips. "It's okay, I love you too."

She let out a breath as a smile graced her features.

"You do?"

"Of course I do," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, well... good."

"Yeah, good," he said with a small chuckle. He caught Lorelai's eye and they exchanged relieved smiles before leaning in and capturing each other's lips in a gentle kiss.

"Hey, Luke?" she asked as he pulled back.

"Yeah?"

"You know what would really warm me up?" she asked with a coy grin. Luke chuckled as she nodded her head toward his bed.

"Well, I guess I can't let you sit here freezing to death," he allowed, eliciting another laugh from her. He grabbed both of their mugs and set them on the coffee table before standing and holding a hand out to her, which she eagerly accepted.

Lorelai let Luke lead the way to the bed. He scooped up her clothes and tossed them back in the duffel bag before depositing it on the floor, and turned down the sheets. Lorelai slipped past him and slid beneath the covers, snuggling deep down into them as Luke came in after her. He sidled up close and put an arm over her waist as they faced each other. Their legs tangled under the sheets, her cold skin finding comfort against the warmth of his sweatpants.

Luke leaned in and kissed Lorelai, his lips running over hers softly, barely touching. Lorelai opened her mouth against his, bringing her tongue out to taste his bottom lip as it moved over hers. He moved a little closer, kissed her a little deeper, but still maintained their easy, gentle connection as he went. His tongue came out to taste hers and they met together inside of her mouth, slipping around each other unhurriedly.

Lorelai shifted her hips closer to Luke's and slug a leg over his, bringing their bodies closer together. His hands stayed put on her waist, while she allowed hers to roam up his muscular arms and down his back, enjoying the dips and weaves of his form. Luke sighed into their kiss as she did so, and he tightened his grip on her so he could pull her body flush with his.

The heat between Lorelai's legs was intoxicating in contrast with the chill of her skin. Luke reached a hand down and stroked her smooth leg from ankle to thigh, spreading his warmth over her as he went.

Lorelai's hand found its way into Luke's hair at the back of his head as she deepened their kisses. Their lips fused harder now, needier, and Lorelai ached to be even nearer to him. She brought a hand down between them, caressing his chest and stomach until she reached the waist of his pants. She tucked her hand under the elastic and found his hardness beginning to stir. Luke moaned into her mouth as she wrapped her hand around it and began to pump it gently to life.

Luke's hand moved further now of its own accord, slipping beneath the band of her underwear and grasping her ass in his palm, squeezing it gently and releasing it, then repeating the process before retreating and sliding upward, underneath Lorelai's sweater and over the skin of her back, then around front to brush his thumb over her hardened nipple.

The pair continued to play together, hands grasping and groping, finding pleasure points and teasing. All the while, they kissed. They kissed hard and fast, slow and gentle, deep and shallow. They explored each other's mouths along with their bodies, melding into each other as they went.

Soon, Luke rolled onto his back, and dragged Lorelai onto his body. Lorelai extracted her hand from Luke's pants and dragged her core over him, their bodies separated only by the thin fabric of her underwear and his pants. Luke was fully hard now, her ministrations having brought him to attention and leaving him ready to feel more of her.

She moved over him, resting her hands on his chest and letting her legs fall to either side as she ground down against his length. Luke grasped her by the hips and helped her move, watching her in the dim light of the apartment as she kept her eyes trained on his face, while connecting them over and over again.

Lorelai could feel the pleasure starting to build from these simple actions. The grinding focused all of the attention on her clit, and she sunk into the sensation. Luke could tell she was getting into it, as she grasped his shirt in her fists and stroked herself along his length harder and faster. Her eyes fought to close, but she wouldn't let them, choosing to watch Luke as she came apart, wanting him to see what he could do to her without even taking their clothes off.

Lorelai leaned down further, her hands moving to the mattress on either side of him as she fell deeper into her movements. Both of Luke's hands went to her ass and he pulled her into him in time with his upward thrusts. Lorelai increased her speed until she was coming apart on top of him, Luke's name spilling from her lips as her orgasm soaked through her underwear and onto Luke's pants. He didn't mind, though, dragging her over him as she went through it, claiming every part of it.

Lorelai collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily as she came down from her high. Luke slipped his hands up under her sweater, resting them against her back which was now warm from exertion.

Lorelai slipped off to the side after a moment and reached down to discard her underwear and Luke's sweats. He raised his hips and allowed her to pull them down and off, before she re-covered them both with the blanket, and claimed his lips in a fierce and wild kiss. Luke's hands went to the back of her head, holding her tightly to him as he sunk into the moment, tasting her, revelling in her.

When Lorelai finally pulled back, she reclaimed her position on top of Luke and sunk down onto his member for the first time that night. Luke groaned at the sudden sensation of being totally enveloped in her heat, which was made all the better by the incredible wetness from her orgasm.

Lorelai began to move again, this time sitting up high on him and riding his engorged member, letting it hit her deep and hard each time she came down. Luke raised his knees up so he could thrust up into her, meeting her each time she came back to him, finding a fast pace that satisfied the incredible need he felt for her.

Luke knew he wasn't going to last long. There was no way, after the lengthy foreplay and seeing his beautiful girlfriend come apart on top of him. He was on a hair trigger, and it was only a matter of time before he would be coming apart just as she had moments before.

Lorelai could see Luke losing his battle. His eyes became heavy, his chest heaved with exertion and his lips parted as his breaths came quickly. Small moans left his mouth as if summoned from the depths of his soul, and he thrust up into her with determination.

"Yes, Luke," Lorelai said between heavy breaths of her own. "Come for me, Babe." Luke moaned, feeling those words shoot straight through him as he began to come apart. He cried her name as he filled her; short, hard thrusts telling her he had reached his limit.

She continued to work over him, moving in a forward and backward motion as she ground her clit into his pubic bone, now slick with both of their releases. Luke's erection was waning, but still sat inside of her as she moved. He groaned at the sensation of his spent cock being worked within her, the feeling walking the line between pleasure and pain.

Lorelai found her second release this way, grinding down into him, feeling what was left of him inside of her. Her climax came gentler this time, like a letting out a breath she had been holding, but it flooded her with warmth.

She slowed to a stop, remaining upright over him as his member finally slipped out, used up completely. Luke reached up and rested his hand gently on her cheek and they watched each other as they each caught their breath.

Soon, Lorelai slipped off of Luke and came to rest beside him. He kissed her forehead gently as they relaxed into the moment. Lorelai kicked the covers away, leaving their lower halves exposed, while their top halves remained clothed.

"Too hot," Lorelai grumbled into Luke's chest. He laughed tiredly.

Outside the storm continued to rage on, but here in Luke's apartment, all they could feel was warmth.


	13. The Black Dress

**The Black Dress**

**Inspired by Episode 5.10 – But Not as Cute as Pushkin**

_**LORELAI:** The hair flip is that effective, huh?_   
_**LUKE:** Combine that with your black dress and you could probably get me to be your backup dancer._

**Description:** **An evening at the Gilmores' Christmas party takes an unexpected turn.**

* * *

"Please don't make me do this," Luke grumbled, adjusting his tie in the mirror in Lorelai's front hallway.

"It won't be that bad," Lorelai said, fumbling her way down the stairs while pulling on her black sling backs.

"It _will_ be that bad. You think I don't remember our last dinner with your mother?"

"It's not the same. This is the Gilmore Christmas bash; the one night of the year my parents are tolerable," she insisted.

"Aren't your parents separated? Why are they even throwing this party?"

"Keeping up appearances. Can't let the upper crust know there's trouble in paradise," she responded, edging him out of the mirror so she could check her lipstick. Luke peered over at her, taking in the woman next to him. She was wearing her black trench coat tied tightly at the waist, and her hair fell in waves over her shoulders. She looked sophisticated, yet sexy.

"You look pretty tonight," he complimented. She smiled while giving him an appraising look. He was wearing his black suit with the blue shirt he'd worn on their first date, paired with a navy tie and brown overcoat.

"You clean up pretty nice yourself, Mister."

"Thanks." He ran a hand over his freshly shaved chin. "I still don't want to go."

"You have nothing to worry about, I promise. They'll have a house full of people, so the focus won't be on you."

"A house full of people just like them," he groused.

"No, a house full of drunk rich people – that's the best kind!"

"If you say so."

"Plus, apple tarts. Have I mentioned the apple tarts?" she said, excitedly. Luke fixed her with a glare.

"Not really a selling point for me."

"And an open bar," she elaborated. Luke sighed.

"Remind me why I have to go to this thing again?"

"Because Rory's in the middle of finals, so I need you there to be my buffer."

"Exactly, which means the focus _will_ be on me," he argued.

"No, the focus will be on the apple tarts." He rolled his eyes.

"Sure."

"No, seriously, they're amazing." Luke frowned. "Luke, it'll be okay. I wouldn't make you go if I thought you were going to get steamrolled. You trust me, right?"

Luke sighed. "Yes, I trust you. It's the Grady twins I have doubts about."

"Look, we'll go in, shake a few hands, have some drinks, eat our weight in canapés, and if I even get a whiff of Emily's criticism, we'll leave. Deal?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really."

"Fine."

"Great!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Let's go before you change your mind."

**XXXX**

Lorelai chatted animatedly during the drive to Hartford, and Luke was content to let her go, chiming in with occasional reactions, but more or less just listening to her incredible stream-of-consciousness. He'd never met anyone who could have a whole conversation without ever actually engaging the person next to them. In some ways, that made Lorelai his perfect match. He loved to hear her talk almost as much as she loved the sound of her own voice.

Even with the distraction of Lorelai's constant chattering, Luke couldn't kick the nerves that were swirling in his gut. His last encounters with the Gilmores had not been pleasant, and he really wasn't looking forward to recreating the experience.

Some of Lorelai's assurances had helped, though. He supposed it would be okay to have other people around to take some of the heat off of him, and at least this time he knew what he was walking into. He was like a lamb to the slaughter the first time he'd dined at the Gilmore mansion. This time he was planning on at least making it through drinks before letting Lorelai's parents get the better of him.

When he pulled into the driveway, they were immediately greeted by a valet, who Luke handed his keys off to reluctantly. Lorelai assured him it was standard practice for these kinds of parties, and he had Emily's voice running circles in his head comparing his old truck to a work vehicle. He figured it was best kept out of sight.

Once the pair made it to the front doorstep, Lorelai raised her hand to knock on the door, and in a moment of nervous energy, Luke grabbed her wrist before she could make contact with the grandiose mahogany.

"Wait!" Lorelai looked at him, wide-eyed. He loosened up his grip. "Sorry, just give me a sec."

"Luke..." she attempted.

He held up a finger "Just a sec."

Lorelai watched as he shook out his shoulders and bounced on the balls of hit feet, as if preparing to take on a heavyweight champion.

"Are you..."

"One more second should do it," he responded. He stopped bouncing and steadied himself, squaring his shoulders. Lorelai looked up at him, amusement evident on her features.

"You ready, Apollo Creed?" Luke took one more deep breath and nodded his assent. She chuckled and shook her head, raising her hand to rap on the door. It opened a few seconds later.

"After you," Luke offered, suddenly seeming much more sure of himself. Lorelai eyed him curiously, but stepped through the threshold ahead of him. The maid closed the heavy door behind them and offered to take their coats. Luke quickly shrugged off his wool overcoat, happy to be rid of the extra layer over his suit jacket.

He watched then as Lorelai shed her black trench, not having seen her without it before leaving the house. He tried to keep his eyes firmly in their sockets as her full ensemble was revealed to him for the first time. She was wearing a black sleeveless dress with a deep vee that accentuated her cleavage, matched by an identical vee down the back that exposed miles of alabaster skin. The natural waist flared out into a skirt that flipped flirtatiously around her slender legs, hitting her just above the knee.

Suddenly, Luke felt incredibly thirsty. Parched. Had the temperature gone up?

"Luke?" He heard her voice, but it sounded far away, as if pulling him out of a dream. "Luke?" she said again. Luke blinked, and tried to focus. "Eyes are up here, buddy," she said, a laugh in her voice. Luke looked up at her crystalline blues, finding them looking back at him, amusedly.

"See something you like, big guy?" she teased. Luke's eyes narrowed, and she laughed brightly, before her attention was captured by an approaching storm.

"Lorelai, Luke, how lovely to see you both!" The sound of Emily's voice brought Luke crash landing back into the present. He shifted focus from his bombshell of a girlfriend to her mother, who was wearing a pleasant smile that could have fooled just about anyone.

"Hey, Mom," Lorelai said, a tight smile on her face.

"Mrs. Gilmore," Luke greeted with as much ease as he could muster.

"Oh now, Luke, we've talked about this. It's Emily, I insist," she told him lightly.

"Right, Emily. Sorry. Thank you for having us," he tried again.

"Of course! Now come with me, there are some people I'd like you to meet." She ushered them both into the living room where a crowd was amassing.

Luke felt Lorelai's hand slip into his as they weaved around groupings of the Gilmores’ friends, following close behind Emily as she talked a mile a minute, pointing out people Lorelai was supposed to know and sharing anecdotes about each one. Luke chanced a glance down at Lorelai and found her scoping out the place, but otherwise looking remarkably at ease.

"Hey, Mom, where are the apple tarts?" Lorelai asked.

"Honestly, Lorelai, you've been here for two minutes and you're already going on about those tarts," Emily admonished.

"They're the reason for the season," Lorelai volleyed back.

"I think Reverend Boatwright might have something to say about that."

"Tarts, Mom?" Emily heaved a deep sigh.

"The trays are making the rounds." Luke watched amusedly as Lorelai did a little happy dance. Emily turned her attention to Luke. "I swear, with the way this girl eats, it's a wonder she's not 300 pounds."

"It one of nature's great mysteries," he joked lightly.

"I'm standing right here," Lorelai groused. Emily ignored her, focusing her attention on Luke.

"And how about you, Luke. Have you heard about the tarts? They're to die for," she said.

"I've heard about nothing but the tarts for weeks," he confirmed, giving Lorelai a playful nudge.

"Do you enjoy sweets?"

"Not big on sweets," he explained. "But I don't think I'm getting out of here without trying one anyway."

"One? Try a dozen," Lorelai huffed.

"I'm not eating a dozen tarts," Luke argued.

"We'll see."

Emily intervened. "Not to worry, we have lots of different hors d'oeuvres going around. I'm sure there will be something that speaks to your simpler tastes, Luke." Luke bit his tongue against his first instinct, which was to tell her to stuff it.

"I'm sure," he said, pleasantly, before Lorelai jumped in to rescue him.

"You know, Mom, I think we're going to go find something to drink. Mind if we catch up with you later?"

"Oh alright, just be sure to find your father. He wants to discuss insurance for Luke's franchises before you two leave," Emily allowed. The pair hadn't even turned away before she was off to greet another group of guests who had just arrived.

"Geez," Luke grumbled.

"I know, I know, sorry," Lorelai said quietly, steering him toward the bar. "I swear, that's as bad as it's going to get."

"Your father wants to discuss _insurance_ for my _franchises_ ," he reminded her, his voice low.

"You're not discussing anything with my father," she said, firmly. "I'll distract him, don't worry about it."

The pair stopped at the back of the line for the bar, another couple ahead of them. Luke took a deep breath and let it out slowly to shake off his first encounter with Emily. He turned to Lorelai, who was watching him with a certain amount of pity.

"I'm fine," he told her. "Really."

"I know you are," she told him. He took another breath as they stepped up to the bar.

Lorelai ordered, "I'll have a gin martini with an olive." She turned to Luke. "Beer, Hon?"

"Nitwit juice?" he asked. Lorelai smiled.

"Not tonight. Just drink what you want." He breathed a sigh of relief and ordered his beer.

While waiting for the bartender to fix their drinks, Luke appraised Lorelai once again, this time keeping slightly more control over his faculties. He leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?" A smile bloomed over her features, erasing the final vestiges of her concern.

"I kind of got that impression when your jaw hit the floor back there." She reached up and wiped at his chin with her thumb.

"What are you doing?" he questioned.

"Just getting that last bit of drool," she teased. He swiped her hand away and reached for their drinks, handing her the martini.

"You know they say being humble is a virtue," he told her as they wandered deeper into the party.

"Please, I left the last of my virtues in the back seat of a 1982 Ford LTD," she batted back.

"And yet you still found a respectable man who was willing to take you on," he said in faux wonderment.

"Yes, whatever will you do with me, Professor Higgins?" He let his eyes rake over her form openly, a wolfish grin on his lips.

"I've got some thoughts." Shock registered on Lorelai's features just briefly before she managed to segue into something resembling amusement, tinged with arousal.

"Wow, and this is without alcohol. I truly didn't know the power of the black dress until just this moment," she said.

"Yeah, well, wield it responsibly."

"Where's the fun in that?" she questioned, a sultry grin on her lips.

"God help me," Luke said in response. He shook his head and took a long gulp of his beer, feeling the effects of their flirting, and her dress, catching up with him.

"Lorelai, Luke, there you are!" The bellow of Richard's voice yanked Luke back from the brink of impropriety. He was starting to feel like a ping pong ball, getting bounced from extreme to extreme. Somehow, for a Gilmore party, that seemed apropos.

"Here we are," Lorelai confirmed jovially. "Great party, Dad. Although I have yet to see the apple tarts. I'm about to lodge a complaint."

"I'll have the maid set aside a box of them for you to take home, how does that sound?" Richard offered. Lorelai grinned.

"Sounds like a very merry Christmas to me!" Richard shook his head, but smiled at his daughter's antics, before turning his attention to Luke.

"Now, Luke, I believe we have some business to discuss. Have you had a chance to call Herb about the line of credit for the new diner?"

"Oh, well, Mr. Gilmore..." Luke attempted.

"You know, I think those Enron guys got off too easy," Lorelai interrupted. Both Richard and Luke looked at her confusedly.

"Pardon me?" Richard asked.

"Enron, Dad. You know, those guys who defrauded their shareholders..."

"I know what Enron is, Lorelai. What's puzzling me is why you're mentioning a three-year old case when I'm trying to discuss business with Luke, here," Richard scolded her.

"Oh well, you know, I was just thinking about _business_ , and _insurance_. Don't you think their insurance company would have had to pay out big time to cover their losses?"

"Well, it's hardly an insurance job, with corruption at that level," Richard huffed. With that, he launched into what sounded like a well-worn diatribe against businesses taking advantage of private insurance corporations.

Luke sighed with relief as he went on, and sent Lorelai a grateful nod of approval. Crisis averted, for now.

**XXXX**

As the evening wore on, Luke and Lorelai mostly succeeded in dodging her parents. They got sucked into conversations with various party-goers, most of whom were fascinated with Lorelai's new beau, many of whom regaled them with stories of a young Lorelai that ranged from boringly mundane to shockingly entertaining, much to Luke's delight and Lorelai's chagrin.

Through it all, Lorelai kept her arm around Luke's, pressing her body against him, every so-often whispering scandalous things in his ear, just to watch him squirm. Luke fended her off as best he could, knowing he would make her pay for those things later, but also wishing he could show her just how affected he was by how she looked and everything she was doing to him.

"Stop it," Luke grumbled as they walked away from Tweeny Halpern and three of her hangers-on.

"Whatever do you mean?" Lorelai questioned innocently.

"You know what you're doing. Knock it off," he shot back.

"Oh calm down, I'm just teasing you."

"Yeah, well, unless you want me to bend you over the table of chocolate boxes, I suggest you slow your roll a little," he whispered in her ear.

Lorelai shrugged. "Not the worst offer I've had today."

Luke sighed deeply and attempted to adjust himself discreetly. She had been after him ever since she realized just how affected he was by the way she was dolled up tonight. The combination of her dress and her antics was proving to be more dangerous than she knew.

"I need to use the bathroom," Luke said, mostly out of self preservation.

"Oh, sure. Here, follow me." She snagged him by the hand and pulled him toward the stairs, which had been roped off.

"I don't think we're supposed to go up there," Luke hesitated.

"It's my parents' house, Luke. The rope is not for us," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He didn't miss her scoping out the room to see if there were any eyes on them before she carefully unhooked the rope for them to slip past, re-securing it before they disappeared upstairs.

"I really don't mind using the bathroom downstairs," Luke argued as Lorelai propelled him forward.

"This one is more private," Lorelai told him, leading him down a long hallway.

"Is there some reason we need it to be more private?" he questioned. Lorelai didn't respond, she just directed him into a bedroom.

"Ensuite is over there," she said, pointing toward a door in the back corner of the room. Luke took a few steps forward before hearing her close and lock the bedroom door behind them.

"I won't be long," he told her.

"Eh, you might be longer than you think," she said. She placed a hand on the middle of his back and pushed him toward the bathroom, going with him. Luke allowed himself to be shoved through the door, only to find her entering right along with him and closing and locking the bathroom door.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked.

"I'm getting you to the bathroom," she said. Luke raised an eyebrow.

"I really don't need help in that department."

"Well, maybe I can help you with something else." She donned a sultry grin, and Luke suddenly realized her intentions.

"Lorelai, we're at your parents Christmas party," he admonished, his voice lowered to a whisper. Lorelai stepped toward him and put her hands on his belt.

"What's your point?" She slipped the leather from the buckle and pulled it loose. Luke's hands rested at his sides, fingers twitching as he fought the urge to touch her.

"We can't do this here," he argued feebly. Lorelai raised her eyes from her work on his belt, meeting his gaze with a challenging one of her own.

"Then stop me," was all she said. The pair watched each other for a moment, hundreds of scenarios running through Luke's head as he tried to ignore the feeling of her hands on his belt, and his pants getting tighter and tighter with each passing second.

"Fuck it," he whispered, as the last vestiges of his self control jumped out the window. His lips were on hers before he knew what he was doing.

The kiss wasn't soft. It was hard, lips fusing, teeth gnashing. He opened wide against her softer, more pliant lips and welcomed her tongue inside of his mouth, rolling his around it, tasting apple mixed with gin.

Lorelai went back to work on his belt, tugging it loose and undoing his pants quickly. Luke barely noticed as it all dropped to the floor around his ankles, only realizing they were gone when Lorelai's hand entered his underwear and took hold of his erection, pumping him mercilessly. He moaned loudly into her mouth, his hands grasping and groping at her shoulders as she worked him over.

Lorelai's lips left Luke's with a smack, and suddenly she was on her knees before him, taking his hardness into her mouth. She didn't tease him the way she often did, instead taking him in as deeply as she could, holding onto his thighs for support as she set up a feverish pace.

Luke groaned, looking down at her as she worked him over. She peered up at him as she went, her bright blue eyes shining darker than usual, making her look every bit like the sexual deviant she was proving to be.

Luke reached down, and with a flick of his wrists, dropped both of the straps of her dress off her shoulders. Lorelai unhanded Luke's thighs just long enough to dislodge her arms, revealing her braless chest to him for the first time. Somewhere in the logical part of his mind, he knew that the cut of the dress made it impossible for her to pair it with a bra, but seeing it for the first time, and knowing she had been walking around like this all night, sent him into a frenzy.

He took her head in his hands and began pumping in and out of her mouth. He tried not to go too deep, to respect the boundary that she had created with her own movements, but it was difficult to keep his composure while fucking the mouth of his gorgeous girlfriend who had been tempting him with her body all night long.

For her part, Lorelai opened her mouth wide and accepted Luke's control. She reached down and slipped a hand underneath the skirt of her dress and began teasing her own clit, making sure she was wet and ready for whatever came next. It came as no surprise to her that she was already slick with her own juices.

Luke groaned as he watched Lorelai pleasure herself while his cock drove in and out of her mouth at a measured pace. He knew he couldn't last long with this level of stimulation, and he wanted his chance to fuck her. With effort, he withdrew himself from Lorelai's hot mouth and shuffled backward, careful not to trip over his pants still around his ankles.

"Get up," he said, his voice low and husky. He stepped out of his pants and went to work on his blazer and shirt while Lorelai got to her feet. The pair quickly undressed themselves the rest of the way before their mouths were once again fused, kissing furiously.

Luke's cock found its way between Lorelai's legs of its own accord, and she spread her legs apart so he could move it between her slick folds. Luke grunted into their kisses as he glided his length against her, becoming wet with her juices. He wanted her more than he could ever remember, and come Hell or high water, he was going to have her.

Luke spared a look around the room and came to a quick conclusion, before turning Lorelai away from him and pressing her into the bathroom vanity, bending her slightly forward. Her hands found the cool marble to steady her, and their eyes locked in the mirror as Luke slid into her soaking core from behind.

"Jesus," Lorelai moaned, as Luke filled her up.

Luke set up a quick pace from the start, unwilling to put off the pleasure that had been building since the beginning of the night, grasping her tightly by the hips and pulling her back into him with each of his thrusts.

"Fuck, Lorelai," Luke groaned, staring her down in the mirror as they watched their coupling. From this angle, they could see Lorelai's small breasts bouncing with each thrust, and Luke's strong form dwarfing her from behind, making her seem smaller than her 5'9 frame. Their moans echoed throughout the room, bouncing off glass and marble tile, creating a cacophony of pleasure surrounding them.

The sounds of every impact from Luke's thrusts became louder and more insistent as they neared completion, coming faster, hitting harder, punctuated by shocked gasps from Lorelai's lips, and grunts from Luke who fought to get her to the finish line ahead of him.

"Ung, Luke," Lorelai moaned. She caught his eye in the mirror as her pleasure began to overtake her, and her eyes screwed shut of their own accord.

Luke circled her waist with his arms and brought his body flush against her back as his hips continued to move in deep and steady thrusts, working her through it. At the loss of her gaze, he dropped his forehead to her back and pounded into her until he reached his own peak, pummelling her body as he was wracked by wave and wave of pleasure, his legs and arms shaking from the intensity of it as he emptied everything he had to give inside her warm and waiting core.

Luke shuttered as he came down, hugging her tightly, his head on her back. The two leaned over further, Lorelai's head dropping onto her arms on the cool marble surface that aided in cooling her overheated body.

They panted together, heaving heavy breaths, as Luke's spent cock dropped out of her and come began to trickle down her inner thigh. Neither could be bothered to care about any of that now, as they recovered from the intensity of the moment they had just shared.

Luke realized he was causing discomfort only when Lorelai began to shift underneath of him. He pushed himself up and stumbled backward, landing against the far wall and leaning on it for support. He watched as Lorelai pushed herself upward and met his gaze in the mirror once again. She grinned, and he laughed out loud at the absolute absurdity of what had just taken place.

"I hope you brought some lipstick to freshen up," he teased lightly. Her grin bloomed into a full blown smile as she flashed her pearly whites in the mirror.

"Never leave home without it," she confirmed. She turned to face him and wandered in his direction. Luke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a soft kiss as he leaned against the wall and she leaned on him.

"This was such a bad idea," he protested meekly

"The worst," she agreed, solemnly. "Want to go again?" Luke laughed, the sound reverberating through the room.

"I couldn't if I wanted to.” She looked down at his flaccid penis, dangling limply between them, and sighed back up at him.

"You think he'll be open for business later on?"

"As long as you're still wearing that dress, I'm gonna go with 'yes'," he confirmed. Lorelai leaned up and kissed him softly.

"We should get back downstairs before they notice we're gone," she said. Luke nodded and went for the toilet paper roll, tugging some of it and running it under warm water from the sink. He returned to Lorelai and knelt down, swiping the lukewarm sheets up her leg and along her tender centre, cleaning up the evidence of their encounter. Lorelai watched him do this, finding herself overcome by the tenderness of his actions.

"You're one of the good ones, you know that?" she said, her voice, though a whisper, seeming loud in the small room.

Luke looked up at her, his eyes soft and kind. He stood and deposited the paper in the toilet before returning to her and snaking his arms around her middle once again.

"You're the only one," he said. Lorelai sunk into his chest, wrapping her arms around his middle.

"I wish we could stay like this," she sighed.

"In the bathroom?"

"Just together, like this. Anywhere."

"I could deal with that," he agreed. He brought a hand to her head and smoothed her hair, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

Finally, after a few moments more, the pair disengaged and went about putting themselves back together, hoping to rejoin the party without arousing suspicion.

On the way home that night, Luke glanced over at Lorelai as she peered out the windshield of the truck. A small smile played on her lips, and a box of apple tarts sat in her lap, waiting to be devoured at home. He smiled, feeling lighter than he expected after an evening at the Gilmores'.

He chalked it up to a good dose of the Christmas spirit, even if it was still two weeks away. He could get used to starting the holidays like this.


	14. Reconciliation

**Reconciliation**

**Inspired by Episode 5.16 – So... Good Talk**

**_EMILY:_ ** _Lorelai has her own ideas about what she thinks will make her happy. She wants you, Luke. She's made her choice, God help her, but there it is. It doesn't matter if I agree with it, I can't fight it. You've won. Go back to her. I promise I will stay out of it._

**Disclaimer: Luke and Lorelai reconcile after their first breakup.**

* * *

Lorelai's head was spinning. Somewhere in the background she could hear Judy Garland singing her heart out about the man that got away, while here in her foyer, the man Lorelai let get away was holding onto her and kissing her like his life depended on it.

It was a shock to the system, being in Luke's arms like this after so much time spent suffering, wishing for him, wanting nothing more than to run to him and beg him to take her back. She wasn't too proud to admit to those feelings, or to the fact that this moment felt like her first full breath since her parents’ vow renewal.

She gasped for air in between heated kisses and tightened her grip around Luke's middle, while his tightened in kind around her shoulders. They could have been squeezing the life out of each other and it wouldn't have mattered to her. She couldn't get close enough, couldn't kiss long enough to satiate the desires that had been so cruelly ignored for too long.

She could have cried when Luke slowed down, when his vice-like grip eased and his hands moved from her back to her upper arms, deliberately creating space between them.

Lorelai looked up at him, her lips parted as she heaved air into her lungs and sought to slow her racing heart. Luke seemed similarly afflicted.

"Can we talk?" he asked, breathlessly. His voice cut straight through Garland's, rendering her nothing more than background noise.

"Do we have to?" Lorelai asked when she found her voice.

"I need to say some things," he told her. Lorelai felt a pit forming in her stomach. She was afraid of what he would say.

"Okay," she reluctantly agreed. She stepped around him and walked into the living room, shutting off the TV so they could focus. Luke followed her in. He didn't shed his jacket or boots, and Lorelai came to the conclusion that he didn't intend for this to be a long visit.

Lorelai sat sideways on the far side of the couch cross-legged. Luke sat on the opposite end turned toward her. In Lorelai's mind, the cushion in the middle served as a kind of no man's land where neither dared tread.

Suddenly she was wishing she'd left Judy on. It was too quiet.

"I need to apologize." Lorelai was surprised by the suddenness of Luke's voice interrupting the silence, she couldn't quite comprehend the meaning of his words.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Lorelai. I'm so sorry."

She shook her head. It still wasn't making sense to her.

"You're sorry?"

"Yes."

"Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who screwed up." It was Luke's turn to shake his head.

"I shouldn't have left you like that. I should have talked to you like you wanted. I was just so overwhelmed by everything that happened, and I panicked," he explained.

"But you asked me for time and I didn't give it to you."

"I shouldn't have needed time. I should have known," he said firmly.

"But you did need time," Lorelai argued, her voice raising. "That's the way you are, Luke, and I know that. But I was so focused on getting an answer that I couldn't just leave you be for a few days to sort things out."

"I can't afford to be this way. Not when something this important is on the line," Luke fought back.

It occurred to Lorelai that they were each arguing each other's positions, which seemed like an odd tack to take after such a painful separation. But she believed what she was saying, and she knew he did too.

"Well what now?" Lorelai finally asked.

Luke sighed. He dropped his gaze to his hands in his lap.

"I don't have any right to be here," he said quietly. He looked up at her, the bags under his eyes telling the tales of many sleepless nights. "I don't have any right to ask you to give me another chance."

"You want another chance?" she repeated his request, trying to process it.

"Lorelai, I can't tell you how hard this last month has been." His voice cracked, showing a level of vulnerability Lorelai wasn't accustomed to coming from Luke.

"Are you here because you're lonely?" she questioned.

"I'm here because I love you," he clarified.

"But you left," she argued feebly. Luke's frown deepened, his eyes dropped downward. He was bracing for rejection.

Lorelai wasn't sure what to do. A big part of her wanted to go to him, to kiss away his sadness, to promise him forever. A much smaller, but not insignificant part of her wished he had never come back, because then she wouldn't have to choose whether to risk her heart again, or leave it broken for good.

She needed some answers before she could make a decision.

"Luke." He looked back up at her. "Why did you leave me? Was it because of that night with Chris?"

"Lorelai, no," he said firmly. "You saw a friend in need, and you were there for him. You wouldn't be you if you didn't. I should know, I've been on the receiving end of that deal more times than I can count."

"But I should have told you about it, as soon as it happened."

"I wish you did. But I can also kind of get why you didn't," he admitted.

"So what was it then?" she asked.

Luke inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. Lorelai allowed him time to gather his thoughts – something she wished she had done all those weeks ago.

"I was just so overwhelmed with everything that happened that night," he said quietly. "I was picturing my life with you and all I could see was years of your mother and Christopher getting in the way, and I didn't think I could handle that. But what I should have been seeing was you – just you. You're the person I want to be with, Lorelai. You have been for longer than you know."

"You have no reason to worry about Christopher. I don't want to be with him," Lorelai insisted.

"I know," Luke allowed.

"You were right though, about my mother," Lorelai said. "Emily is always going to be in my life, in one way or another, and she's always going to be this way."

"I don't care about your mother. I care about you," he told her.

"But she won't stop. She won't leave us alone."

"She said she would," he told her, without thinking. Lorelai reared back at this.

"What?"

Luke sighed. "She stopped by the diner tonight." Lorelai shook her head.

"She went to the diner? _Your_ diner? Why would she do that? What did she say?" Lorelai demanded.

"She said we should try again, and that she would stay out of it," Luke paraphrased.

"I'm sorry, this is _my_ mother we're talking about? Emily 'Damian' Gilmore?"

"Yes."

Lorelai frowned. "Is that why you came here? Because my _mother_ told you to?"

"No, of course not," Luke insisted.

"But you came after talking to her," Lorelai posed.

"Well, technically she did all the talking."

"That's not the point."

"What do you want me to say, Lorelai? Yes, your mother talked to me, and yes, I'm here now. But it's not because of her. It's because I love you and I want you back. It's that simple – please don't read anything else into it."

Lorelai chewed on the inside of her lip, turning his words over in her head.

"You want me back," she repeated quietly.

"Yes," Luke said. He shifted forward a little bit, and his leg crossed the boundary onto the middle cushion, invading the neutral zone. "Lorelai, we can't change what happened. All we can do is move forward. That is, if you still want to be with me."

"I do," she admitted tentatively. "But how do I know you're not going to leave again the next time something goes wrong? The last month has been really hard on me, Luke. Too hard to go through this again. So if you're in, I need you to be in. I can't do this again."

"I know. I know, and I'm so sorry."

"Please stop apologizing," she pled.

"Sorry," Luke said without thinking. They shared a small smile at that, embracing the much-needed moment of levity.

He tried again, soberly. "I'm in, Lorelai."

"You sure?" she asked.

"I'm sure," he affirmed. Lorelai took a breath, a deep one, and let it out slowly.

"Okay," she agreed.

Luke exhaled. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Yes. God, yes." The words fell from her mouth in time with her body surging into the neutral zone. Luke caught her as she flung toward him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. His lips were on hers in the next moment.

Lorelai expected a flurry of action when she made the leap: clothes flying off, hands groping relentlessly. What she was not prepared for what the depth of emotion she felt, and the way Luke clung to her as he held her in his arms. His hand went to the back of her head and tangled in the hair of her ponytail as he held her to him, reinforcing their connection, as if she threatened to float away.

Lorelai was laying half on his body as he laid back with one leg bent and the other on the floor. His head landed against the arm of the couch. The pair kissed passionately in this position for minutes longer before the discomfort began to wear on them. Luke shifted a little beneath Lorelai, alerting her for the first time to his leg bent awkwardly underneath her.

It was with great reluctance that she backed away, giving him the space to sit back up and lower his leg to the ground, stretching it out in front of him as he sought to regain feeling in the tingling limb.

Lorelai smiled as Luke chanced a glance in her direction, a small grin playing on his lips. She could only imagine how she looked right now, her hair falling out of her ponytail and sticking up at odd angles, her lips red and swollen from their kisses, a heated flush starting in her cheeks and disappearing beneath the neckline of her shirt. She was a hot mess, and she hadn't felt this good in ages.

"Are you staying?" she asked, hopefully.

"Do you want me to?" She nodded. "Then I'll stay."

Lorelai pulled herself up and reached a hand out to Luke to aid him in getting to his feet. He let his hands go to her waist as she pulled the zipper of his jacket down, then plucked the cap from his head and tossed it onto the couch behind him. He shrugged the jacket off and dropped it onto the couch as well.

Luke leaned down and captured Lorelai's lips in another kiss. This one was markedly softer than the others they had shared that night. He slowed them down, grazed her swollen lips with his, eased them flush together in a way that accentuated their pillowy softness. Lorelai sighed into the kiss, and her body fell against his as her hands circled his neck and gave a gentle, but insistent pull.

Where every other kiss had left her breathless, this one seemed to give her oxygen. She felt empowered by it, her confidence growing and nerves abating with each passing second.

Luke pulled back, just enough so she could see his face.

"Can I take you upstairs?" he asked. Lorelai smiled at his tentativeness. It seemed as her surety grew, his waned. She wanted him to feel the way she did, so she grabbed his hands in hers, and led them to the stairs.

When they made it to Lorelai's bedroom, Luke looked around, as if taking stock. Even though the room was only dimly illuminated by the light from the hallway, Lorelai wished she'd had time to clean up. The place was still in a state of partial-chaos from her wallowing days; glasses and magazines were piled up on the end table, her dresser was out of place after having been moved to accommodate the TV, her bed hadn't been made and the sheets hadn't been cleaned since Rory found her there on the day of the break-up. It painted quite the picture.

"Sorry about the mess," Lorelai said, abashedly, as she raced for the bed, tossing clothes onto the floor and pulling down the comforter to get rid of it. Luke came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, taking her forearms in his hands and bringing them in around her middle to stop her frantic motions.

"S'okay," he assured her. "My place doesn't look much better."

Lorelai sighed and sunk back into him.

"I bet you don't have candy wrappers in your bed," she joked.

"Well, no," he allowed. "But I'm pretty sure I ate an entire jar of peanut butter with a spoon, so I think we're even." Lorelai grinned.

"Chunky?"

"Low sodium," he corrected her. She giggled and turned in his arms, winding hers back around his neck as he pulled her close. She watched the smile fall from his face as he regarded her more seriously.

"I missed you," he said in a whisper.

"Oh, Luke. You have no idea," she responded, leaning up on her toes to capture his lips again. This time, Luke didn't break the kiss. Instead, he inched them forward until the back of her knees hit the bed, and eased her down onto her back, never breaking their connection. The pair scuttled upward until they were laying across the bed with just their feet dangling off the edge. Luke kicked off his boots while kissing Lorelai deeply, unwilling to break the connection.

Lorelai reveled in the feeling of having Luke's weight on top of her again as their kisses grew deeper. She opened her mouth to receive his tongue, running hers along it, getting lost in his taste.

She brought her knees up and dropped her legs open, giving Luke more room to settle against her. His hips started to move in time to their kisses, dragging along her core, though their jeans belayed most of the friction they were seeking. Lorelai didn't care. At every step along the way, she felt she couldn't get more happy, more satisfied, even though she knew that wasn't the case at all. Luke would always be able to take her higher.

She smiled into their kisses, and Luke smiled back. It made it difficult to continue, but she didn't want to stop. She pecked him, and smiled. Swept his tongue with hers, and smiled. Nipped his lip, and smiled. Luke laughed into her kisses and pulled back to see her.

"You happy?" he asked.

"So happy," she told him. Her admission was met with one of the most sincere grins she had ever seen grace Luke's handsome features. He leaned down and kissed her again, briefly, before pulling back.

"Let's see if we can top it," he suggested.

"I'm in," she said softly, repeating Luke's words from earlier. Luke took a deep breath and looked down at her, his sharp features softened by the tenderness of his gaze.

"I love you, Lorelai."

Lorelai smiled. "I love you, too."

Luke kissed her again, and then moved down to lave her neck with affection. Lorelai lolled her head to the side as he tugged the collar of her shirt away to gain better access, before giving up and pulling back to push her shirt and hoodie up and out of the way. Lorelai grabbed them and yanked them over her head, tossing them away before Luke took his position back over her.

His lips felt like heaven as they peppered her neck, shoulders and chest with kisses, alternating between quick pecks and languid open-mouthed kisses, dragging his tongue along her skin and setting it on fire.

Moving lower, Luke kissed along the top of her bra – utilitarian beige, not one she was anticipating getting any attention that night. Luke didn't seem to mind, though, as he tugged one cup down, and took her nipple in his mouth, sucking and licking at the nub as he brought it to attention.

Lorelai's hand went to the back of Luke's head, tangling in his hair as he set up shop over her breasts, going back and forth between them, offering equal attention to both. She arched her back as he reached a hand underneath her to unclasp her bra and remove the offending material, providing greater access for him as he continued his ministrations.

Luke slipped lower after a while, kissing and licking at the taut skin of her stomach, circling her navel, and down to the waist of her jeans. Lorelai gave him free reign as he unbuttoned and dragged them down and off, her underwear in tow.

She looked up at him as he stood before her at the side of the bed. He took one ankle in his hands and peeled her sock away from her foot, then the other, placing a kiss on her instep. Lorelai shrieked and yanked her foot back at the sensation. Luke laughed, amused at finding one of her ticklish spots.

He stood back and grazed his eyes over her body, a look of reverence on his features that made Lorelai feel at once totally exposed and totally safe. When his eyes met hers again, she smiled back at him and dropped her legs open in invitation.

"God, you're beautiful," he said, his voice husky. He began to work on the buttons of his flannel as Lorelai watched on. The shirts were gone quickly, followed by his jeans and socks. He hesitated ever so slightly at his underwear, but came to the decision rather quickly to remove those too, as Lorelai's eyes dragged over the hard plains of his body. Her breathing sped up when she saw that he was hard and ready for her, clearly just as affected by his actions as she was.

Luke moved toward her then. He dropped kisses on her knees, then thighs as he moved upward. Lorelai's body buzzed as he got closer and closer to the part where she wanted him most.

He didn't tease her. Once he was settled between her legs, he took a long swipe at her parted lips, eliciting a gasp of pleasure from Lorelai, and then settled his mouth over her clit. Lorelai sunk into the feeling of his tongue alternating between winding around and flicking at her sensitive bundle of nerves. She closed her eyes and let her arms rest on the bed, giving herself over to the sensations he was creating down below.

She gasped when he eased a finger inside of her, followed quickly by another. He set up a moderate pace, and his tongue and fingers worked in tandem to provide just enough stimulation to build her up, without pushing her over the edge. Lorelai began to move her hips in time to his fingers pumping in and out of her, making her yearn for more.

"Luke," she said, her voice thick with desire. He peered up at her, finding her looking down at him with dark eyes. "I need you."

She felt an instant sense of loss when he pulled his fingers out of her completely, leaving her with a kiss on her clit, then her inner thigh, before he got to his knees between her legs and crawled up her body, coming to hover over her with his erection brushing against her sensitive sex.

Luke rested on his forearms over top of her, bringing their bodies close and his lips in line with hers. He dipped down and kissed her fully, and she could taste herself on him. The mix of his taste with hers provided a heady feeling that left her wanting so much more.

When Luke broke the kiss, he reached down between them and took hold of his erection, placing it at her entrance.

Even though Lorelai knew what was about to happen, she still found it hard to believe that it would, even in this moment. She had resigned herself to the understanding that she would never be this way with Luke again, and so the feeling of him sliding into her provided a wonderful shock to her system, as if awakening each part of her.

Once he was fully enveloped in her, Luke stilled. His eyes met hers, intense blue on blue, and he pulled back just a little, before pushing back in once again.

Lorelai's lips fell open at the feeling of him gliding in and out of her. Nothing felt as good as this, and with Luke's piercing gaze on hers, she was sure nothing could ever compare to the way they were together. This was it for her, for them. It had to be.

"Lorelai," her name spilled from his lips in a moan. He kissed her again, and picked up the pace, with longer strokes hitting deeper and deeper each time they connected.

Lorelai began lifting her hips to meet his on each downward stroke. Her hands sought out the muscles of his shoulders and back as they worked to hold him above her, maintaining their position. He was the picture of strength and passion in the way he moved.

Luke shifted lower, his lips claiming Lorelai's neck as his hips began to lose their pace, becoming erratic as he fought to maintain his composure. Lorelai knew he was close and she wanted them to finish together.

She reached down lower and let her hands rest on Luke's lower back, pulling him into her to grind his pubic bone against her clit with each thrust. This, combined with the feeling of being filled by him over and over again, was what brought her to her peak.

"Oh, yes, Luke," she cried as she began to crest. "Come with me," she whispered in his ear.

He picked up his pace, his breaths coming in short spurts against her neck as he drove them both over the edge. Their cries filled the room in tandem as they were overcome.

Luke slowed his movements as they eased down from their heights, but didn't stop moving entirely until his spent member slipped out of Lorelai's heat on its own. She sighed as he rested a little more weight on top of her, and his lips dropped lazy kisses to her neck as they shared in their beautiful exhaustion.

Moments later, Luke extricated himself from Lorelai's grasp. They made their way to the top of the bed, pulling a sheet over them as they snuggled down into the pillows wrapped up in each other's arms. Despite the heaviness of the night, the difficult conversation and the emotional lovemaking, Lorelai felt so much lighter. She rested her head on Luke's chest, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to be comforted by the steady beating of his heart.

It was some time later when she broke the silence. Neither was asleep, but she knew that's where they were heading, and there was something else she needed to know.

"Will you still be here when I wake up tomorrow?" Lorelai whispered.

"That depends. Are you waking up at 5am?" he asked, his voice just as low.

"No," she said, making a face.

"I gotta open the diner," he said, reluctantly.

"Oh." She tried not to let the disappointment seep into her tone, but she knew she didn't do a good job of it.

"I really wish I could.”

"It's okay, I understand."

"Can I get a rain check?" he asked.

Lorelai smiled and peered up at him, finding him looking back down at her. "This weekend?"

"Definitely this weekend," he affirmed. "You'll have to haul me out of this bed with a forklift."

"Hey now, don't go letting yourself go just because you got the girl," she teased.

"You sure? I could start eating like you."

She grinned. "Oh, well, when you put it that way, maybe it wouldn't be so bad."

Luke shook his head, amusedly. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"You got a problem with that?"

"No," he said, quickly.

"Didn't think so." She leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss. "Goodnight, Doll."

Luke smiled at the familiar pet name she had given him early in their relationship. "Night."

"Hey, Luke?" Lorelai asked after a brief silence.

"Yeah?"

"Wake me up before you go, okay?"

"You got it."


	15. Boots and Boats

**Boats and Boots**

**Inspired by Episode 5:13 – Wedding Bell Blues**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Trying to figure out what you see in me?  
 **LUKE:** Yep.  
 **LORELAI:** Wait'll you see me in the boots._

**Description: After Luke and Lorelai reconcile, he moves his boat back to where it belongs in her garage, along with a few other things that arrived during their separation.**

* * *

Lorelai stood next to her garage, doing her best airport runway crew impression as Luke backed his truck up in the driveway, guiding the trailer and his dad's boat ever-so-carefully into the storage space.

They had reconciled the night before after their breakup. Even though the separation had only lasted a little more than a month, it felt like eons to both of them as they struggled to cope without each other.

"Would you stop flailing back there? It's distracting," Luke shouted out the window.

"I'm helping!" Lorelai called back.

"You're directing me into the side of your house! Just stand back and let me get this in there."

"Dirty!" she exclaimed. Luke felt a grin tug at his lips, unbidden. God, he'd missed her.

He attempted to refocus on the task at hand as the boat cleared the garage doors and backed it up as far as he could without hitting the rear wall. Once it was in, he unhitched the trailer and drove a few feet forward so he could unload materials from the truck bed.

"Aww, back where she belongs," Lorelai cooed over the boat, running a hand over the bow that protruded beyond the doors of her garage.

"It's not a 'she', it's a boat," Luke said.

"Aren't all boats shes?" Lorelai asked.

"No, all boats are boats. It's creepy old men who feel the need to anthropomorphize their belongings that decided they should all be female."

"Whoa, slow down there, Encyclopedia Britannica. You aren't seriously pooh-poohing a centuries old tradition."

"I'm not pooh-poohing anything, I'm just saying, a boat is a boat."

"But what are you going to name it if it's not a she? Does your list consist of unisex names only?"

"I wasn't planning to name it anything," he told her. She gasped.

"Luke, you cannot have a boat without a name!" she admonished.

"Why not?"

"Because it's wrong," she exclaimed. "This is not just an object. It's not just a vehicle. It's a boat – _your boat._ It needs to be loved."

"And in order to love it, I need to give it a name?" he questioned, unconvinced.

"Yes!"

"And in order to name it, I need to give it a gender," he concluded.

"Again, yes. Come on, there must be something you want to call her," she pushed.

"Nothing comes to mind." Lorelai appraised the craft for a moment, before gasping as an idea came to mind.

"I know! You should call her the Lorelai!"

"The Lorelai," he repeated.

"Yeah!"

"It's not enough that you have a daughter named after you, now you need a boat too?" he deadpanned. Lorelai scowled at him.

"This isn't about vanity, Lucas. This is about love."

"And because I love you, I should name my boat after you?" he concluded. Lorelai nodded enthusiastically. "There are no small gestures with you, are there?" She shook her head. "How about I _don't_ name my boat Lorelai, but I continue to feed you and give you coffee?"

"And your sweet, sweet lovin'?" she teased. He rolled his eyes.

"And that." Her grin came back in full force.

"Deal."

"Thank God. Here, help me unload, would you?" He gestured to the boxes in the back of his truck, and then caught the gleam in her eye. "Don't say dirty."

"Wasn't gonna," she lied.

"Uh huh." He opened the tailgate and pulled a few boxes to the edge so they would be easier for her to reach, before picking one up and bringing it into the garage.

"What is all this stuff, anyway?" Lorelai asked, carrying in another box.

"They're the parts I ordered from that catalogue a while back. They finally came in."

"That was good timing," Lorelai said. Luke grabbed the last box and dropped it next to the rest of them.

"Actually, I think there's something in this one for you," he said, opening it up.

"For me?" she asked, excitedly. She dove into the box and pulled out the items on top, a pair of thick wool blankets. "Wow, my own linens," she teased. Luke grabbed the blankets from her and dropped them in the boat.

"Keep looking." Lorelai turned back to the box and dug a moment longer before she found them.

"My boots! I forgot all about these." She extricated two sunshine yellow fisherman's boots from the bottom of the box. "When did these come in?"

"A few days after, you know," he said, not wanting to remember the dark time following her parents' vow renewal. "Try them on, see if they fit." She grinned and pulled off her heeled boots, slipping her feet into the new rubber ones.

Once they were on, she struck a pose.

"What'dya think?" she asked.

"I think those boots and that dress make an interesting fashion statement," he said. She looked down at the wrap dress she had worn to work. It was blue with black stripes, not exactly what one would wear for a day on the high seas, and certainly not when paired with her knee-length black jacket.

"I'm still cute though, right?" she probed. Luke laughed lightly.

"Still cute," he agreed. She smiled and plodded over to him, the boots heavy and awkward on her thigh-high-stocking-clad feet. She put her hands on Luke's cheeks and pulled him down for a kiss. She was so happy to be able to do that again.

When he pulled away, Luke nodded toward the boat.

"You want to try it out?" he suggested. Lorelai's eyes widened.

"I'm allowed inside?"

"Only with adult supervision." She smiled brightly and took his hand, allowing him to help her up and over the edge, using the trailer as a step stool. Luke followed her in and spread out one of the blankets, gesturing for her to lay on it. He followed her down and pulled the second blanket over them to protect them from the late winter chill.

Lorelai laid her head on Luke's chest and sighed against him. They hadn't missed a beat.

"Now just imagine," he said, wistfully. "It's a beautiful summer day, we're out on the water, all is calm and quiet."

"And the sharks are circling," Lorelai added.

"Will you let me paint the picture please?"

"Sorry."

"We've spent the day a few miles off shore. And now we're laying here just like this, watching a perfect sunset as waves gently rock the boat," he finished. She sighed and snuggled in closer to him.

"That sounds nice."

"Yeah, it does." She looked up at him and found him looking back at her, his eyes showing a depth of emotion. She tilted her head up and caught his lips with her own in a slow, delicate kiss. Luke turned to face her more fully, deepening their connection. She rested her head on his arm and his other went to circle her waist, bringing her in closer to him.

Outside, cool temperatures left behind a stark landscape since the snow had long-since melted. But here, inside Luke's boat, Lorelai could only feel their heat.

Luke reached down and grabbed the back of her thigh, pulling it over his leg as he tucked himself in closer, aching to be nearer to her. Their separation had left him with a longing that was unlike anything he'd ever felt. Every moment he wasn't connected to her felt like a moment wasted.

Lorelai opened her mouth under his, inviting his tongue to enter and rubbed it sensually with her own. She pushed her hips forward into his, feeling his hardness beginning to stir in his jeans. She grasped the shoulder of his green army jacket to pull him closer, but found her own coat to be needlessly restrictive in this position. She sat up and shrugged the offending article off her shoulders, while Luke did the same.

Luke balled up their jackets and put them near the back of the boat to serve as make-shift pillows, and then pushed Lorelai down onto her back and moved over her, refitting the blanket around them to keep them warm. He didn't make any other effort to remove her clothes, knowing it was too cold outside for their skin to be exposed to the elements.

He leaned down and caught her lips in another searing kiss, grinding down into her. Lorelai spread her legs wider to accommodate him, her wrap dress falling open from the waist down as she did so. She pushed up into him, finding the extra grip in the soles of her new rubber boots to be extremely effective in giving her more control over her movements.

Luke let his hands wander her body over her clothes. Meanwhile, Lorelai went about unbuttoning his jeans. She pushed the fly down and reached her hand in to stroke his hardness through his boxers. She found the hole in the garment and pushed her hand inside, hoping her fingers wouldn't be too cold as she wrapped them around his erection and pulled him out through the same hole. She silently thanked whoever designed men's underwear for creating such easy access to the goods.

Without fanfare, Luke reached between Lorelai's legs and pushed her underwear to the side, letting her guide him inside. He groaned as he filled her, the heat of her core a stark contrast to the chill in the air.

With limited room to maneuver and incentive to keep things relatively quiet in their semi-public location, Luke claimed Lorelai's lips in a deep kiss as he began to move inside of her gently, taking his time as he went. He didn't want to rock the boat – literally or figuratively – and he certainly didn't want to alert the neighbours as to the goings on in Lorelai's garage.

Lorelai sighed into his lips, enjoying the feeling of him filling her, even though their clothes kept them from being as connected as she would have liked. She made a mental note to rectify that when they were finally able to get the boat out on the water and away from prying eyes.

Wanting to feel Luke go even deeper, Lorelai wrapped her legs around his waist, yellow boots high in the air as he continued to push into her. He brought his hand back to stroke the length of her leg, and laughed into her mouth when his hand made contact with rubber.

"You were right," he whispered. "I do like you in these boots." She giggled, a little louder than intended, but Luke didn't mind. Seeing the joy in her eyes, combined with her arousal and the pleasure he was giving her, was the best thing he could imagine after being apart.

They continued their slow burn, taking an unhurried pace as they kissed and touched each other, small gasps escaping their lips as Luke hit a new angle or the material of his boxers rubbed her clit in just the right way. They both knew it would be difficult to finish this way, in such cramped quarters, but they didn't care. All they wanted was to be in this cocoon together, making love as the late afternoon sun went down over Stars Hollow.

Eventually, Luke opted to pull out and lowered himself down her body. He slung her feet, boots and all, over his shoulders and he dove in to bring her to completion with his mouth. He grinned against her as Lorelai tried valiantly to keep from crying out, narrowly losing that fight as he pushed her over the edge.

Once she was gone, Luke laid back down next to her and offered her his arm to lay on as he readjusted the blanket around them again. Lorelai could see his erection poking at the blanket in the dim light, and she reached down to take it in her hand.

"You don't have to, I'm good," Luke told her. She met his gaze with a soft one of her own.

"I want to watch you come," she whispered back. Luke's eyes clouded with arousal and he let her begin to pump him in her hand.

He was only at about 50% when she started, but she knew how to work him just right after months of practice. It didn't take long for him to feel that familiar tightening that signalled he was close.

Lorelai watched his expression as he neared completion. He began to buck up into her hand, all the while working to remain silent. Lorelai felt the heat of his release coat her hand and wrist as he came, his eyes screwed shut, short heavy breaths escaping his lips the only sounds he allowed himself to make.

When he was fully spent, he let his head drop back onto his balled up coat so he could get his bearings. Lorelai watched him as he did it, taking in the planes of his face, illuminated now only by moonlight, and the way his broad chest rose and fell with his heavy breaths.

She thought he was so handsome like this. Strong and masculine, but vulnerable too. Post-coital Luke was probably her favourite version of the man that she loved in so many ways.

Once Luke had regained his bearings, and opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"You're beautiful," he told her, his voice barely a whisper. She smiled down at him.

"So are you."

"Come down here."

"I would love to, but I'm a little, you know," she said. She held up her hand for him to see, still glistening with his release.

"Oh, geez. Sorry." He sat up moved past her, digging around for a rag he had left in the boat last time he worked on it. When he found it, he offered it to her so she could clean herself up.

"You'll never be able to use this again," she said, rubbing her hand and wrist clean.

"I can get another one," he told her. She laughed and leaned forward, catching his lips in an easy kiss.

"Have I mentioned how happy I am you brought the boat back?" she asked.

"Yes you have." She caught his eye.

"I'm happy you're back, too," she said, meaningfully.

"Me too," he agreed. He watched Lorelai for a long moment before peering out the open garage door. A small smile tugged at his lips. "It's snowing," he informed her. She turned to look at the flurries falling from the sky, probably the last of the season. She looked back to Luke with a radiant smile.

"Good things always happen in the snow," she said. He shared her smile.

"I think I'm starting to believe that."


	16. Come and Get It

**Come and Get It**

**Inspired by** **Episode 5.17 – Pulp Friction**

**_RORY:_ ** _What shoes are you wearing?  
 **LORELAI:** The pink pumps.  
 **RORY:** I like those.  
 **LORELAI:** Are they a little too 'come and get it'?  
 **RORY:** Don't you want him to come and get it?  
 **LORELAI:** Uh, yes, but I want it to be his idea to come and get it. It's not the same if the shoes tell him to 'come and get it'.  
 **RORY:** I really, really want to stop saying 'Come and get it'._

**Description: Lorelai and Luke enjoy their big "Back Together" date. Turns out, Luke really likes those pink pumps.**

* * *

Lorelai was still sitting at the kitchen table, picking at her Rocky Road ice cream when Luke navigated a half-naked, half-asleep Kirk back into Rory's bedroom and closed the door behind him. Without a word, he grabbed a chair from the kitchen table and wedged it under the doorknob to lock the flight risk in for the night.

"That should hold him," he said, pleased with his solution.

"Unless he figures out how to open windows," Lorelai teased. Luke frowned.

"Maybe I should board them up."

"I say we take our chances."

"Fine, it's on you if he ends up naked in the town square again," Luke said pointedly, retaking his seat at the table. Lorelai watched him maneuver around her kitchen, her house, so comfortably. He was more at home there than any of her previous boyfriends had been. Hell, he was the only man other than Max to spend the night at all.

She smiled at that thought, the comfort factor that she and Luke shared. Even after their brief separation, they fell back into their relationship like no time had passed. If anything, the break seemed to give them both some much-needed perspective and appreciation for what they shared, and what neither wanted to be without.

"What're you smiling about," Luke asked. Lorelai flushed lightly, not aware he'd been watching her dip into the sappiest depths of her brain.

"Just you. Us." She smiled a little wider and met his gaze. "I'm glad you're back."

Luke nodded and shared her easy smile. "Me too."

"So what now?" she posed. "Reggae Fever and Kirk's one-man show. What's next on the docket for our official Back Together date night?"

"Oh the clown car should be showing up any time now," Luke said, a little self deprecatingly. "I'm sorry. Tonight didn't really go as planned."

"I don't know. You're here. What could possibly be wrong with that?" Lorelai said, more seriously than she intended. Luke quirked a small grin.

"Well geez, if I knew that's all I needed to do, we could have skipped dinner."

"Lorelai Gilmore does not skip dinner," she said sternly, before quickly slipping into flirtation. "Now if that dinner was served by you wearing nothing but a "Kiss the Cook" apron and a smile, _that_ I could get on board with."

"You have quite an imagination," he deadpanned.

"You have no idea." Luke just shook his head amusedly, and regarded her for a moment.

"Have I told you yet how beautiful you look tonight?" he asked.

"A few times. But don't let that stop you," Lorelai said with a broad grin. Luke eyed her up and down, more obviously this time.

"You look beautiful."

"Keep 'em coming. This is scoring you major points after the Kirk incident."

"You wanna go upstairs?"

"Do _you_ want to go upstairs? With Kirk down here?" Lorelai asked with a touch of incredulity.

"He's a big boy," Luke said. "But we'll try to keep it down, anyway."

"Speak for yourself."

Luke grinned and stood up from the table. He sealed the ice cream and put it back in the freezer, then held a hand out to Lorelai, which she took willingly, allowing him to lead her to the stairs.

When they cleared the doorway to her bedroom, Luke wrapped Lorelai up in his arms and kissed her deeply. A month without being able to touch and kiss each other had been way too hard on both of them. Every touch, every kiss, felt multiplied, electric. It was a feeling they both wanted to sink into and embrace as much as possible, before the exciting became ordinary and the sparks became commonplace.

Lorelai opened her mouth to him and let Luke's tongue glide easily inside. She slipped hers around it, tasting the remnants of ice cream combined with Luke's unique flavour that she had so quickly gotten a taste for.

Luke eased back from the kiss and their eyes met as he began to work on her clothes. It wasn't rushed, but there was a destination in mind as he eased Lorelai's cardigan off her shoulders, and then pulled the zipper of her dress down. His fingertips spread the garment at the back, gently caressing her skin as he brought the straps down her arms, taking the bodice down with them. The dress pooled easily at Lorelai's feet, leaving her in a strapless blush lace bra and panty set, and her hot pink shoes.

"You're beautiful," Luke said again, his voice low.

"You gonna take out a billboard?" she teased lightly, trying to offset the butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know what it was about this night, or his appraising gaze that made her feel so nervous and excited. It wasn't like it was their first time. It wasn't even their first time since they got back together. But it was special. This date was their way of recommitting to each other, and this night would be remembered.

Luke offered a half grin and leaned in to kiss her again, gently. He broke just briefly as Lorelai pulled his shirt over his head, before diving back in a little more urgently and pulling her body against his. The feel of her skin on his, the temptation of the lace of her bra, brought him revving to life. He could never be away from her like he had been. He needed this – needed her, so much.

Luke began pushing Lorelai backward toward the bed, over their discarded clothes. She sat down on the edge, and reached for his belt, prying it open with ease followed by his button and fly. Luke kicked off the material along with his shoes and toed off his socks before leaning over Lorelai, kissing her soundly with two hands flat on the mattress. They shimmied up the bed and Lorelai's head found the pillows as Luke continued to kiss her eagerly, his body covering hers.

Lorelai moaned into the kiss and her legs came up higher at Luke's sides, opening herself to him as he ground his boxer-clad erection into her underwear, which were rapidly becoming wet with her arousal. Luke began rubbing his open palm up and down her smooth calf, pulling her leg higher, resting it against his ribcage as he moved against her.

His hand slid down a little lower and came into the contact with the patent leather heel that still adorned her foot. He broke the kiss and looked down to see what he had found.

"You like the shoes?" Lorelai asked, her voice thick with need. Luke pushed himself up so he was kneeling between her legs and brought her foot to his mouth, dropping a kiss to the inside of her ankle.

"Love the shoes." Another kiss.

"They're not too Barbie?" Luke kissed a little higher up her calf.

"Just enough." Lorelai moaned as his kiss landed on the inside of her knee, teasing the sensitive skin there.

Luke continued upward to her mid-thigh before swapping to her other leg and providing the same attention. All Lorelai could do was watch and try to steady her breathing, impossibly turned on by Luke’s ministrations. He touched every part of her with gentle confidence, and made her want to give herself over to him.

When Luke finally crawled back up her body to kiss her, it was all she could do to keep from full-on attacking him.

Luke kept space between their bodies as he reclaimed her lips and slid a hand underneath her to release the clasp of her bra. She arched her back, giving him room to work, bringing her chest against his in a way that was so sinuous and sexy he nearly lost focus on his task, fumbling twice before successfully undoing the garment and pulling it away from her body.

His lips found her neck next, and then moved lower to fully claim her breasts. He groped the left while his mouth descended on the right, swirling his tongue in tight circles around the bead of her nipple, teasing its way inward until it was being laved with the kind of attention that had Lorelai moaning in earnest underneath him. He captured her nipple between his teeth and grazed up to the tip, repeating this motion several times as Lorelai's wanton squirming became more pronounced and her hands moved to his hair to hold him in his spot.

When he released her breast, he kissed his way over to the other, tonguing the soft skin between them, and then claiming her left breast with the same fervor.

Lorelai's legs spread wider as Luke worked his way lower, tongue swiping circles around her naval as he made his way to her throbbing centre. Lorelai was so far gone at this point, she barely noticed him take up his position, only focusing when he said her name. She looked down and found him poised over her centre, eyes locked on hers, a wicked grin on his lips.

"Huh?" Lorelai asked, lacking her usual economy of words. Luke chuckled darkly, and pulled the damp lace aside to reveal her to him.

"Try to keep it down," he told her.

He dove in for his first taste, and Lorelai couldn't help the sharp gasp that left her lips. Her reaction was met with the feeling of his hot breath hitting her core as he chuckled, in between swipes with his tongue and nips with his teeth.

"Oh, you don't play fair," Lorelai admonished, her voice husky with need. Luke pulled back slightly, catching her eye.

"Are you complaining?"

"God no!" she said quickly. She reached down and tangled a hand into Luke's hair, urging him back to her centre. He went back to work, amused, but more than a little turned on at her overwhelming arousal. He slid two fingers into her heat and curled them with each stroke to enhance her pleasure.

She tasted amazing. He'd had her like this on the night of their reconciliation, but that was brief and emotionally charged. This time he let himself sink into and enjoy the experience of bringing her to her first climax with his tongue. She was always so receptive, it made going down on her an essential part of the whole experience for Luke. He was addicted to her flavour, to the sounds she made, to the way her thighs shook and her hips jerked wildly when she came.

When it happened this time, he felt a sense of pride that was hard to tamp down. Her cries came loud and prolonged as she was overwhelmed. She didn't seem to remember that there was company downstairs, and in that moment, Luke couldn't be bothered to care. If assassins couldn't wake the sleeping nutcase, Lorelai in the throes of passion surely wouldn't.

Luke licked her clit as she went through her orgasm, continuing the wonderful, tortuous attention until her hips were pulling away, too sensitive for him to continue providing such intense direct service.

Luke pushed himself up onto his knees between her legs and peered down at her. Her chest was heaving, her limbs heavy, her eyes dark as she watched him intently, anticipating his next move.

Luke took advantage of her relative immobility. He quickly peeled her underwear off and shucked his boxers, then situated himself on his knees between her legs. He lifted the tired limbs up to rest her ankles on his shoulders, those incredible pink pumps flashing in his peripheral vision as he lined his hardness up with her dripping core. He entered her with a series of progressively deeper strokes. He let his hands rest on her ankles, keeping them perched as he set up a slow and deep pace, his eyes taking in the incredible sight as his beautiful girlfriend lay before him, every inch of her visible, his cock wet with her juices as it moved in and out of her. The sheer eroticism of the sight forced him to focus on keeping every movement slow and steady when all he wanted to do was take her full tilt.

It was sweet torture, keeping this pace, and Luke was very near giving up and driving into her with reckless abandon, but he wanted to enjoy this for a few moments. He had missed her too much for this to end quickly. He needed to make it last, to savour every reaction, to pull out of her every sound that him ache with need.

Lorelai watched Luke as he loved her. In this position, she could see all of his muscles working as he moved inside of her, his biceps bulging as he held her legs in place. He backed out to his tip, and then delved back in at a pace that was just fast enough to keep her on edge, but slow enough that she could feel every single inch of him entering and retreating on repeat.

Lorelai moaned, and Luke's resolve began to chip away. He leaned forward, adjusting his position with her legs still over his shoulders. He pushed them into her torso as he hovered over her, straightening his legs behind him and resting on outstretched arms on either side of her.

Lorelai felt stretched to her limits as Luke pushed her into this new position, but in doing so, he filled her more deeply than she ever thought possible. She had never been so open to him, to anyone.

Luke began to move into her harder now, hitting her deepest depths. Each time he bottomed out, he grunted, the feeling of his cock fully encased by her walls almost too much to handle. But he was determined to see her come again before he finished.

He began circling his hips, staying deep inside of her as he moved, his pubic bone grinding sinfully against her clit. Lorelai's moans picked up and his name began to drop from her lips liberally as she pushed up into him with every last ounce of energy she possessed.

It didn't take long in this position for her second climax to take hold. Between the size of Luke's erection inside of her, the direct clit action, and the intensity of his stare, she was engulfed with pure pleasure and couldn't contain herself any longer.

It came hard and unexpectedly. She was enjoying the ride, and then she was overcome. The sparks shot from her core outward and her entire lower half seized with the force of it. Luke watched her as she went through it, his own body reacting powerfully to the intensity of her pleasure, the sounds she made and the way she squeezed him from inside. He held off as long as he could, maintaining steady, deep thrusts until she was fully sated. Only then, did he shift focus to his own pleasure.

As Lorelai eased down from her height, Luke picked up the pace, pulling out to the tip of his cock and driving back in forcefully.

"Oh fuck, yes," Luke mumbled between heavy breaths.

"Yes, Luke," Lorelai's voice rasped with satiated exhaustion, spurring him on. With his arms quaking from holding his position, his felt a wave course through his body as he reached his peak. He buried himself deep inside of her as he came in short, fast spurts, filling her with his release, grunting, bucking and grinding. The intensity of it shook his whole body, and Lorelai's.

It took the last vestiges of his sapped energy to pull back and ease Lorelai's legs back down to the bed. She groaned with the change of position, having been in such a deep stretch for so many minutes. Her limbs protested the sudden release.

Luke slipped one pink shoe from her foot, and then the other, holding them out in front of him and appraising them.

"I'll never be able to look at these things again without springing a hard-on," he joked. Lorelai burst out with uncontained laughter. Post-coital Luke was always a surprise.

"They've seen too much. They'll never be the same again," she lamented, shaking her head. Luke huffed a laugh and tossed them over the side of the bed, then crawled up to lay next to her, sharing her pillow. Lorelai leaned in and claimed his lips in a soft, sweet kiss and stroked her fingers through his hair.

"Your hair is getting long," she noted when they broke the kiss.

"Gotta get it chopped off."

She teased the ends of it. "I don't know. I kinda like it."

"Yeah?" Luke asked, a smile playing on his lips. "You want me to grow it out? Give Gil a run for his money?"

Lorelai laughed at the image. "You can wear it in a ponytail."

"Or a man-bun," Luke suggested. She laughed harder this time, and Luke joined in. It was moments like these – quiet moments where they were the only two that existed in the world – that made her feel most at ease. Most like herself.

She watched him lovingly as they both came down, the tenderness in her gaze mirrored by his.

"I missed you," Luke said, his voice barely a whisper.

"Me too."

He leaned in and kissed her again, gently, but with passion burning behind it. When he pulled back, Lorelai grinned. "If you're ready to start round two, I'm gonna need to stretch first."


	17. Green Eyed Monster

**Green Eyed Monster**

**Inspired by Episode 5:02 – A Messenger, Nothing More**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Hey, do you think Annie the Grog Girl made a pass at Luke? I'm sure he rebuffed her, but he was there a long time. I hope not. I'd joust the little slut._

**Description: Luke gets a little attention from someone who is not Lorelai. Lorelai gets jealous.**

* * *

It was 10 a.m. and the diner was in the midst of a full-on lull between the breakfast and lunch rushes. There were a handful of people sitting at tables nursing hot mugs of coffee or tea, but no meals were being ordered.

Luke wiped down the counter studiously, if only to entertain himself. It's not that he was a social butterfly, but he was at his most comfortable when the place was abuzz with activity and he didn't have to think of what to do to fill his time.

He was instantly relieved when the bells over the door chimed. A woman walked in, long blonde hair flowing over her shoulders and hitting her mid-back. Her eyes were a deep green. She was wearing a tight pair of black jeans and matching top, with an emerald green blazer popped off of it. She was beautiful in a not-at-all understated way.

She strolled up to the counter with purpose and pulled out the stool directly in front of Luke to sit.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"I don't know, what's good?" she came back. Luke stepped away to grab a menu from the end of the counter and handed it to her.

"Have a look. Coffee? Tea?" he offered.

"Tea would be great, thanks. Earl Grey, if you've got it."

"Coming right up." He turned toward the back counter to prepare the beverage, unaware of her eyes scanning him more than the menu in front of her.

"It's my first time here. Cute town. Charming," she told him.

"That's what we put on the postcards," he told her as he set the mug down in front of her. "Anything to eat?"

"Nothing just yet," she said. He nodded and grabbed his rag, moving down the counter to continue washing the surface. "So I'm in town until tomorrow. Anything I should see while I'm here?"

Luke shrugged. "I think there's some crazy festival going on or something. I'm not really the person to ask."

"Oh? Why is that?" She took a sip of her tea.

"Just not my area of expertise," he explained. He headed back into the kitchen to toss the rag into the sink before returning and grabbing the coffee pot to do a round of refills for the few patrons in the joint.

He vaguely noticed the woman watching him, but didn't pay much attention to it. When he reset the pot in the coffee machine, she spoke again.

"I'm Corinne, by the way," she offered up. He nodded politely.

"Nice to meet you."

"And you are…" she prompted.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Luke." She looked down at the logo on the menu and back up to him.

"This Luke?" she asked, pointing to the design in front of them. Luke laughed lightly.

"Yeah, that Luke."

"So you own the place?" She wrapped both of her hands around her mug and brought it back up for a sip, all the while maintaining eye contact.

"Yup."

"That's very impressive," she told him with a grin. He raised an eyebrow.

"It is?"

"Sure. It's hard to make it as an entrepreneur these days. You've got to be good at what you do."

"I guess that's true."

"I'm an entrepreneur too."

"Oh yeah? What do you do?" he questioned. He wasn't usually chatty, but the diner was still dead and he was bored, so he figured he would entertain some polite conversation.

"I write a travel blog."

"What's a blog?" he asked, confusedly. She laughed brightly – clearly it was not the first time she had gotten that question. Luke appreciated her not pointing out his luddite tendencies.

"It's like an online magazine. I travel around, stay in unique places and write about the experience."

"And you make money doing this?" he questioned.

"Companies pay me to advertise on my site, or to try out their products or stay at their hotels and give them a good review," she explained easily.

"So you're a shill," he teased lightly. She laughed a little louder than the joke would have warranted.

"I prefer the term _influencer_."

"Ah, my mistake," he shot back, amusedly. "So what brings you to Stars Hollow?"

"Actually, the ice cream place next door.” She pointed toward the window connecting Luke's with Taylor's Soda Shoppe. "The owner got in touch with me and asked me to write a rave about his shop and the town."

Luke laughed out loud at this and shook his head. Of course it was Taylor.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"You know him?"

"Unfortunately."

"Ouch, and here I thought it was all love and good times in these cute little hamlets," she teased. Luke rolled his eyes.

"A lot of busy-bodies too," he told her. She smiled brightly and sipped her tea again. He didn't notice her clock his ring finger to see if it was bare.

"Well," she said. "I find it to be a nice change of pace coming from the big city."

"Manhattan?" Luke asked. She nodded. "You have my sympathies."

"Not a fan?"

"Not my thing. I like air." She laughed again.

"It looks like you're in the right place."

"So where are you staying while you're in town?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow.

"Why? You planning to pay me a visit?" she asked lightly. Luke's faced reddened at the insinuation.

"I didn't mean it like that," he backtracked. She reached out and put a hand over his on the counter. Luke looked down at the connection. He may not be Casanova, but he had been around the block enough to know she was flirting with him.

"I'm just teasing you," she said. As she pulled her hand back, she allowed her fingers to graze his. "I'm staying at the Dragonfly Inn. You know it?"

"I know it," he confirmed. "Be sure to write a rave about that one too."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"It's my girlfriends place," he said, catching her eye as if to tell her that he knew what she was doing, and it wasn't going to work.

Her grin never faltered.

"Lucky girl," she said. He shrugged.

"Lucky guy.” She smiled and slid off the stool and reached in her purse for some cash.

"What do I owe you for the tea?"

"Buck-fifty." She pulled out a five and set it down in front of him. Luke headed to the register to get her change and she wandered over to meet him there, fishing through her purse as she went.

When he presented her with the cash she took it, slipped one dollar back in her purse, and dropped the rest of it on the counter, along with a business card. He eyed her curiously.

"In case your status changes," she said with a wink. She offered him a bright smile before turning and heading for the door. Luke shook his head after her as she went, amused by her blatant flirting, and flattered that he had warranted such attention. He wasn't interested, but he appreciated the ego-boost. It wasn't every day a gorgeous woman who wasn't _his_ woman took a liking to him.

He tucked the bills into the tip jar just as the doors opened again and a small group came in. He dropped the card next to the cash register, forgotten, as he went to attend to his new customers.

**XXXX**

Lorelai had had a longer day than planned. An influx of festival-goers had the inn overrun, and it was after 7 p.m. when she finally was able to get away for the night. She headed straight to Luke's for dinner. She was famished.

"Burger. Fries. Coffee. Pie. Stat!" she exclaimed as soon as she had cleared the door. She headed for her customary stool in front of the cash register just as Luke was coming out of the kitchen with an order for another patron.

"Just a sec," he said, moving past her. She reached out for one of the plates, which he deftly swung out of her way as he went.

Luke returned to her a moment later with his hands full of dirty dishes. She reached out for a leftover fry – he dodged that too.

"You're mean," she sulked.

"You're shameless," he came back after dropping the plates at the window.

"But you love me anyway," she said with a grin. Luke smiled at her antics.

"Uh huh. What can I get you?" She fixed him with a glare.

"Burger. Fries. Coffee. Pie. Stat," she reiterated.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you how to order in a restaurant?"

"Yes she did. And then I promptly unlearned that, and here we are."

"You're hopeless."

"I'm starving. Feed me." He laughed lightly and turned back to give Caesar the order before going ahead and making her coffee.

"Long day?" he asked.

"Ugh, the longest. Hordes of spring flingers." She gratefully accepted the mug he set down in front of her and took a sip. "How about you?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "Same as always."

The doors opened and another round of customers came in, stealing Luke's attention.

"Be right back," he told her. She smiled back at him and continued to sip on her coffee as he left to serve the newcomers.

While she waited, she looked around the immediate area in front of her. Luke's receipts were piled high by the register, along with a jar of pens, extra pads of paper and his receipt book. Her brow furrowed at another object that wasn't part of the usual decorating scheme; she reached out to pick it up.

Luke returned a moment later.

"Why do you have Corinne Ford's business card?" she asked, flipping it around for Luke to see what she was holding.

"Oh, she came in earlier," he told her. She waited for him to expand on that, which he didn't.

"And?" she asked.

"And… what?" She rolled her eyes.

"Why did she leave her card? Is she writing about the diner?"

"Doubt it," he said. "I suggested she write about the inn though, so maybe you'll get a mention on her blog."

Lorelai blinked. "Her _blog_. Do you even know what a blog is?"

"She had to explain it to me," he told her. Lorelai looked back down at the card.

"So she came in, told you what a blog was, you told her to write about the Dragonfly, she gave you her business card and left?" she put together.

"Something like that." He could see her turning this information over in her head. "She had some tea too, don't want to leave that out."

"Oh, tea," Lorelai said. "Tea, blog, inn, card, gone?" she rattled off.

"More or less," he said, amusement clear in his voice. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing!" Lorelai exclaimed. "She's staying at the Inn. I was just surprised to see her pop up here too."

"Well it's a small town."

"That it is. That. It. Is," Lorelai said, continuing to over think. He fought back a grin.s

"You okay over there?" he teased lightly. She looked up at him, tearing her eyes away from the card.

"I'm fine," she said quickly.

"You are?"

"Yup."

"You don't seem fine."

"Well, then you don't know me very well, because this is what _fine_ looks like on me," she drew an imaginary circle around her face with her finger.

"Uh huh." He let it hang for a moment.

"So why'd she leave her card again?" she asked again.

"I guess so I would use it."

"Use it for what?"

"To call her," he said matter-of-factly.

"There it is!" she exclaimed.

"There what is?" he asked.

"Luke, you totally took this woman's number!" she exclaimed.

"I did not _take_ her number, she _left_ her number. There's a difference," he told her. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, Luke. I've seen this woman. She's a bombshell."

"So?"

"Did you tell her about me?"

"What?"

"Did you tell her you had a girlfriend?" she clarified.

"I already told you I told her about you."

"No, you told me you told her about the inn," she said.

"Well, I told her about _you_ , happy?"

"So you told her you had a girlfriend and she left her number anyway?" he shrugged. "Wow, that's brazen," Lorelai went on. Luke laughed heartily. "What are you laughing at?"

"You're jealous," he pointed out.

"I am _not_ jealous," she shot back. Luke laughed harder. "Okay, fine, I'm a little jealous. I've seen this woman. I have a right to be jealous."

"You have no reason to be," he told her, stifling some of his laughter, though a grin remained plastered on his face.

"Why are you so amused by this?" she asked. "If a hot guy gave me his number, wouldn't that bother you?"

"Not particularly." She fixed him with a glare, and he continued. "Did you ask this guy for his number? Do you plan to use it?"

"No," she said quickly.

"Then I wouldn't be jealous. I trust you." He eyed her curiously for a moment. "And you trust me?"

"Of course I do," she confirmed. He reached out and put a hand over hers, not unlike Corinne had done to him earlier.

"Then there's no reason to be jealous." He pulled his hand away and plucked the card from her grip as he went. He held it up in front of her and tore it down the middle. Lorelai offered a small smile at that.

"Order's up!" Caesar called from behind Luke, stealing their attention away. He turned back to the kitchen and grabbed Lorelai's dinner and set it in front of her.

"Eat up. I'll take off when you're done and we'll go back to your place." She offered him a small, apologetic smile before digging in. He was right – there was nothing to worry about.

**XXXX**

"Do you think I'd look good as a blonde?" Lorelai asked, holding out the ends of her hair so she could look at them.

She and Luke were sitting on her living room couch as a movie played on the television. It had been her pick, but she wasn't paying much attention to it. Her mind was still on the hot blonde in room 9 at the Dragonfly.

"Why would you dye your hair blonde?" Luke asked, turning from the television to face her.

"I don't know, just something new. Different."

"Don't go blonde," he said with a bit of distaste evident.

"Why not. You don't _like_ blondes?" she asked.

"Blondes are fine, I just like you the way you are."

"But you _do_ like blondes?" she sought to clarify. Luke took a deep breath and dropped his head onto the back of the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.

"Lorelai…"

"What? It's just a question."

"I'm not interested in Corinne," he shot back.

"Who said anything about Corinne?" He turned his head to look at her.

"You're being ridiculous."

"I'm just asking an innocent, totally unrelated question."

"Sure."

"I am!" He sighed and adjusted himself on the couch so he was facing her more fully.

"Can you please let this go? Nothing happened. We talked, she flirted, I told her I had a girlfriend and she left. End of story."

"She left her number," Lorelai sulked. Luke took a deep, steadying breath, silently cursing himself for not remembering to toss the card before Lorelai could see it.

"You know what? Yeah, she left her number. Believe it or not, women occasionally find me attractive."

"Of course women find you attractive, have you looked in the mirror recently?" she asked.

"But I'm not interested in any of those women."

"I know you're not. I just feel weird knowing this gorgeous woman set her sights on _my_ man," she told him. Luke offered a small grin.

"Well, _your man_ doesn't care, and neither should you."

"Fine," she allowed with a bit of a huff. She still didn't like it. She still felt this weird jealousy in the pit of her stomach, but she tried to push it down. Luke was falling all over himself to make her feel unthreatened and she was acting like a lunatic.

"Good," he told her. "Now let's finish this movie before I fall asleep sitting up." She nodded her agreement and they turned back to the screen across the room.

Lorelai's eyes didn't stay on it for long. She turned back to look at Luke. He was handsome. His stubble-peppered jaw line could cut glass, his dark hair made his blue eyes shine brightly, his lips came to a perfect bow just beneath his nose. He was really a very attractive man, and those were just his attributes _above_ the shoulders. She could write sonnets about what was going on down below.

Luke noticed her staring and turned back to see her.

"What?" he asked.

"Just admiring the view," she told him with a sexy grin. Luke smiled at that.

"See something you like?"

"Can't complain."

In a smooth move, she slung a leg over his, straddling him. Her lips went to his neck like they were drawn by magnets.

"Lorelai?" he questioned.

"Hmm?" she hummed against the column of his throat.

"What are you doing?" She pulled away and grinned down at him salaciously.

"Marking my territory," she told him. He huffed a laugh at that.

"Shouldn't you just pee on my leg or something?"

"I didn't think you'd be into that." He rolled his eyes, but lolled his head to the side to make more room for her as her lips descended back to his neck. "Is this a problem?" she asked in between pecks.

"Nope. No problem," he assured her. He let his hands rest on the top of her thighs, but didn't make any moves to further his participation. If Lorelai noticed, she didn't seem to care. Her kisses on his neck were long and languid, her tongue finding his pulse-point and working over it. She didn't suck hard enough to leave a mark, just enough that he could feel the pull on his skin.

Eventually Lorelai kissed her way up higher, letting her tongue slip along his outer-ear before sucking the lobe between her lips. Luke moaned at the new sensation – his ears were one of his most potent erogenous zones, which Lorelai had discovered early in their relationship. She went for them when she wanted to get him going in a hurry.

She kissed away from his ear after laving it with attention, and over to his mouth. Once her lips touched his, he finally returned her affections, kissing her back deeply, opening his mouth to her tongue and slipping his against it to taste her fully. Lorelai smiled into the kiss as his hands began to move up her body, leaving the safety of her thighs behind.

They kissed for what felt like ages as their hands roamed, feeling everything they could over the clothes in this limiting position. Lorelai ground down against Luke's hardness which had gone from non-existent to bursting at the seams of his jeans over the course of her ministrations. Luke grabbed her by the hips and pulled her back over her him a few more times as they continued to kiss and touch each other, breathy moans falling from their lips every-so-often.

Lorelai pulled away when Luke began to push her shirt upwards. She took hold of the hem and pulled the garment over her head, tossing it across the room before reaching for the buttons on Luke's flannel. She made quick work of them and helped him pull the shirt and his tee from his upper body before kissing him soundly again.

Soon, she climbed off of him and dropped to her knees on the floor. She reached for the button and fly of his jeans and he helped her in her efforts to discard them along with his underwear, lifting his hips as she pulled them down to his ankles, and then off each foot along with his socks.

When Luke was finally naked on the couch before her, Lorelai pushed his legs apart so she could kneel between them, and leaned forward to take his erection in her mouth.

"Ung, Lorelai," Luke moaned as her lips wrapped around him. His hands went to her hair, gathering it into a ponytail-hold to keep it from spilling over and obstructing his view as she worked him.

Lorelai slipped her tongue around the head of his penis before she sunk further down, taking him in as far as she could. She rested her hands on his upper thighs, grasping at the muscles there as she went.

Luke watched intently as her head bobbed up and down and her cheeks hollowed out with suction each time she withdrew. Her mouth was hot and wet and her tongue was doing sinful things to him that made it hard for him to maintain his composure.

Luke worked hard not to thrust upward into her mouth, but couldn't stop his hands in her hair from helping to guide her actions, keeping her in a steady rhythm as she took him into her throat, and then back out again over and over again. She swallowed around him and he nearly came apart at the sensation.

"Lorelai," he warned. She continued to work. "I'm so close, you have to stop."

She popped off of him and looked up at him with a wicked grin.

"I have to?" she asked.

"Unless you want this to be over before it starts," he told her. She eyed him intently as she stuck her tongue out and circled his head again. He moaned loudly at the direct contact and his hips jerked.

"What do _you_ want?" she asked, and then teased him again with her tongue. Luke watched as she did so. Emboldened by her willingness to continue, he responded.

"I want you to keep going,” his voice was thick with need. Lorelai took him all the way in again and moaned around him, the vibrations sending his arousal into overdrive.

She picked up the pace then, and began to pump the base of his cock with her hand so his entire member would be tended to. Luke lost his battle to keep his hips still, and with a hand on her head, he began to thrust upward into her mouth.

Lorelai popped off and looked up at him as she continued to pump his member.

"Tell me how it feels," she demanded. Luke swallowed hard. Words didn't always come easily to him during sex, he wasn't the most verbal lover. But as Lorelai took him back into her mouth and redoubled her efforts, he found them falling from his lips uncensored.

"Oh fuck, Lorelai. You feel so good," he moaned, his hands fisting tighter in her hair. She moved faster. "Yes, god, just like that."

Lorelai continued to move, and brought her spare hand in to his fondle his testicles as she went.

"Ah geez. Lorelai, I'm gonna come!" he warned her. A few seconds later, he cried out as his orgasm overtook him and his seed began to shoot into her mouth. Lorelai continued to suck and swallow as he unloaded, his hips moving frantically as he went.

Lorelai swapped her technique from sucking to long, languid strokes of her tongue as Luke came down from his high. He watched as her tongue went from base to tip, lapping up what she had yet to swallow, and massaging his member as his erection waned, but didn't go completely soft.

"Hey," he told her. She looked up at him from her spot between his legs, her blue eyes wide, a satisfied smile on her lips. "Come up here."

She stood and shed her bra and bottoms as Luke moved to lay on his side against the back of the couch, inviting her to lay next to him. Lorelai settled there and Luke caught her lips in a searing kiss.

"I thought you were done," Lorelai teased as they broke apart.

"I am, but you're not," he told her. He reached out and tucked an errant hair behind her ear and then pulled her mouth back to his. He deepened the kiss immediately, his tongue entering Lorelai's mouth and caressing hers. He could taste himself on her, something he found surprisingly tantalizing.

Lorelai lifted a leg over Luke's and he slipped his knee between hers so his thigh was flush with her naked centre. He could feel the wetness as she ground down against him. He pushed his leg more firmly against her to provide her with more friction.

Lorelai moaned into Luke's mouth as she moved steadily against his thigh, setting a pace that left her dizzy with pleasure. Luke could feel her arousal, and it spurred his own back into action. He couldn't remember ever bouncing back so quickly, but the beautiful woman in his arms made it impossible for him to think about doing anything else but diving into her and getting lost in her heat.

When he knew he was ready, Luke adjusted them on the couch so Lorelai was beneath him. He spread her legs as wide as he could and slipped in between them, his hardness finding her heat and dipping in. He eased in slowly, enjoying the feeling of each inch becoming encased by her. He wanted to savour this feeling.

Lorelai sighed as he came to fill her completely, before pulling out and moving back in at a slow, purposeful pace. He kissed her lips as he went, slow pecks, no tongue – just lips moving slowly together in time to his thrusts.

Luke's position kept their bodies in full contact at every point, and with each inward thrust, his pubic bone ground against her clit, making her shudder and shake. She was so pent up, so ready to burst, that every move felt like it would be the one to break her apart.

When she finally did go, it was long and drawn out. Lorelai gasped against Luke's lips, her whole body stilling and stiffening as he continued to enter her at his methodical pace, allowing her body anticipate and fully enjoy his every move. Lorelai groped at Luke's shoulders, her nails leaving crescents in his skin as she rode it out.

Luke could feel the incredible tightness as her muscles worked through her climax, and he was surprised when he felt a second orgasm building inside of him. His pace sped up just as Lorelai came down from her high, and his muscles began to clench as he was overcome again. He moved his lips to Lorelai's shoulder as he emptied himself inside of her with short grunts coming from deep within his chest. The orgasm was almost painful in its pleasure.

Luke breathed heavily against Lorelai's skin as he relaxed and tried to get his bearings. He fell out of Lorelai's centre, completely flaccid, completely spent. He knew without looking that there was nothing left to give. She had taken it all.

Not wanting to crush her, Luke moved off to the side, this time his back facing out to the room as Lorelai slipped in between him and the back of the couch. He held her close and kissed her again before settling in to relax and cuddle as they recovered.

"I can't believe I came twice," Luke finally said after several quiet minutes. "I don't think that's happened since I was like seventeen."

"Just remember that next time a hot blonde hits on you," Lorelai teased lightly. Luke met her gaze with mock annoyance, but the grin on his lips gave him away.

"I prefer brunettes anyway." She giggled at his admission.

"Not into the Heather Locklear-types?"

"Nope. Big fan of the Lorelai Gilmore-types, though."

"Smooth," she shot back, but she didn't see any hint of humour in his gaze.

"Hey," he said, catching her eye. "It's always been you. It'll always _be_ you. You don't have to worry about it."

"I know. Same here," she said softly. Luke offered a small smile and leaned in to capture her lips in a gentle, lingering kiss. Lorelai let the conversation fall away, choosing instead to get lost in his embrace. It was a good place to be.

**XXXX**

A few days after the run-in with a Manhattan blogger, Lorelai found her curiosity getting the better of her. She pulled up Corinne's webpage on the computer in her office to see what she had written about Stars Hollow.

After she and Luke had cleared the air, she felt her jealously give way to interest. It wasn't every day an influential writer came to town; she figured it was worth a look to see what she had to say.

The landing page of the website featured a beautiful picture of Corinne Ford herself with a chic New York backdrop. It was one of those photos that gave off the pretense of being candid, but it didn't take a keen eye to see that it was posed.

Lorelai scrolled down to find the most recent blog entry, "Charming, Quaint and Full of Surprises – My Stars Hollow Adventure."

The article was, as expected, full of great stories about the town, its people, various businesses and the Spring Festival, which Corinne had enjoyed in full. She went on for three paragraphs about Patty's Founder's Day Punch, along with the customary regrets at having indulged in the stuff.

It wasn't Lorelai's first time on Corinne's website, so she knew the layout of her stories fairly well. She wrote largely about the business that she had come to review, an overview of the town, and then broke her observances up into sections: Accommodations, Attractions, Gossip.

She found herself filled with nervous anticipation when she got to the "Accommodations" section.

_While visiting Stars Hollow I stayed in a quaint country inn called the Dragonfly. A new business, the Dragonfly is owned and operated by two fierce women who have been best friends for years. Their familiarity and the love they have for each other and the town is ever-present throughout the establishment, from the rooms and the finishes, to the dining options and the extensive library. They didn't leave a stone unturned._

_It goes without saying that whenever I hit a new place, I like to chat up the staff and try to get the unvarnished truth about the place and its management. I was not at all surprised to hear only good things about the owners. It was lovely to see such loyalty and joy among the staff._

_The food was divine. The head chef is also one of the owners of the inn, and her farm-to-table menu reads like a love letter to her local suppliers. Even if you're just passing through, grabbing a meal at the Dragonfly is a must._

_I had the pleasure of chatting briefly with the chef's co-owner during checkout. She was warm and accommodating, and made me feel like my business was truly appreciated. (She was also drop-dead gorgeous – and if you think that comment is arbitrary, just keep it stored in the back of your mind as you read on.) She gave me the customary, "Come back soon," and I honestly think I might. Stars Hollow, and the Dragonfly, are worth a second visit._

Lorelai smiled. Luke had asked her for a rave, and that's exactly what she wrote. She knew the blog had extensive readership, so this was all good news.

She read on into the Attractions section of the report.

_Stars Hollow is all about community spirit. Their Spring Festival was a hit, and it seemed like the whole town was out to celebrate. Word on the street is they have festivals and events in the town square on a regular basis, and a strong swell of community involvement in all cases. That's one of the main attractions that should bring you to this small Connecticut town. You instantly feel like you're part of something special._

Lorelai began to skim as she went on. Corinne had gone into depth about some of the other local attractions, including her long and paid-for ode to Taylor's ice cream shop. She rolled her eyes at some of the grandiose adjectives that were used to describe her scoop of vanilla with chocolate chips.

Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, Lorelai finally reached the bottom of the list, when something caught her eye. Quickly, she sent the whole article to the printer so she could take a hard copy with her when she headed out for lunch. This was too good not to share.

XXXX

It was shortly after one when Lorelai entered the diner; the article was folded up neatly and tucked in her purse. She went straight for her favourite stool and waited for Luke to come around to her.

"Hey handsome," she greeted him when he arrived. Luke smiled.

"Hey back."

"I have something to show you," she dove in, digging the papers out from her purse.

"What's that?" She extended the article out to him.

"Read the highlighted part down at the bottom," she instructed. Luke's brow furrowed, but he scanned down to the words cast in yellow.

_Now, this last attraction is just for the ladies. If you're going to Stars Hollow and you're looking for some eye candy, do yourself a favour and pop in to the local diner, Luke's. Getting a gander at the proprietor is worth the extra stop. You're welcome._

Luke looked up at Lorelai, eyes wide.

"What the hell is this?"

"That, my dear, is Corrine Ford's blog," she told him, amusement etched on her features.

"This is ridiculous. Why would she write this?"

"Apparently you made quite an impression," Lorelai said. She held her hand out, and when he relinquished the paper to her, she began to read aloud:

"Gossip: Word on the street is the handsome diner owner and the beautiful inn owner are dating. All I can say is, you'd better keep that man on a tight leash, because ladies from all five Burroughs are coming for him now.

Of course, I'm kidding. The real word on the street is that this is a lovely couple with a long history. In fact, I believe I was threatened three separate times by various characters from this storybook town for even deigning to speak the diner owner's name.

Your claim is safe, Inn Owner. Besides, after talking to him for just a few minutes, it's plain to see where his heart lies."

Luke gaped at Lorelai as she finished reading.

"We need to move," Luke said with finality. Lorelai laughed heartily and shook her head.

"Sorry Babe, we're not going anywhere. This town's got my back."

"Then I need to change my name."

"Well, okay, but just make sure it's something easy to say in the throes of passion. One syllable. Two, tops," Lorelai suggested. Luke fixed her with a glare, which she ignored completely. "Coffee and a cheeseburger to go, please."


	18. More Thanking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW for very light bondage/dom/sub.

**More Thanking**

**Inspired by Episode 5.21 – Blame Booze and Melville**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Hey, have I thanked you enough for escorting me, and being such a good sport and shaking hands with all the big city folk you don't like, and putting extra cherries in my Manhattan?  
 **LUKE:** Yeah. You did.  
 **LORELAI:** There'll be more thanking, later on tonight._

**Description:** **Lorelai and Luke explore some of their mutual fantasies in an uninhibited, alcohol-fueled romp.**

* * *

Lorelai and Luke were in the back of a limousine, heading for Stars Hollow after an evening of schmoozing with magazine reps at a party in Manhattan. Lorelai had listened to Luke's fabulous Manhattan rant, and they were both thoroughly enjoying the warm, lingering buzz from the alcohol that coursed through their veins.

"Hey, have I thanked you enough for escorting me, and being such a good sport and shaking hands with all the big city folk you don't like, and putting extra cherries in my Manhattan?" she asked.

"Yeah. You did."

She offered a sexy grin, "There'll be more thanking, later on tonight."

Lorelai and Luke leaned in at the same time, catching each other in a searing kiss. Lorelai slipped her tongue between Luke's lips, tasting him as his tongue brushed hers in his mouth. She pulled back, just for a moment.

"You taste like peppermint," she said, before diving back in. The taste of Luke, and his hands on her body were doing crazy things to her. She felt heat pool between her legs, teasing and tempting her, making her want so much more with the beautiful man in her arms.

Luke pulled her closer and his hand slipped from her knee to her upper thigh, just under the hem where her dress had ridden up. He dared not go further in the back of the limo, a semblance of his sensibility still remaining in his alcohol-infused mind.

Lorelai moaned into his mouth, dying to get closer, but as she surged forward, Luke pulled back, disengaging them. Lorelai let out a little whine and leaned forward again to catch his lips. He let her take them for another drive, but kept their rhythm more relaxed this time. She whined against his lips and pulled back with a pout.

"Why won't you kiss me?" she asked.

"I am kissing you.”

"I mean _really_ kiss me."

"We're in the back of some guy's car," he said uncomfortably.

"Um, we're in the back of a limo. That's what the back of a limo is _for_ ," she told him.

"Oh well, when you put it that way," sarcasm dripped from his voice as he looked around the space with distaste.

"Oh hey, I bet you have a 'back of the limo' rant, right?" she asked, quirking a grin. Luke huffed a small laugh and shook his head.

"Maybe another time," he suggested. He noticed her smile fade, but he didn't want to be the cause of her waning mood. Instead, he picked up on something she had said before the groping had started. "So what exactly does 'more thanking' entail?"

Lorelai's features brightened again, and he inwardly congratulated himself for his clever segue.

"Anything you want! It's all about you tonight, Babe," she told him excitedly.

"Anything I want, huh?"

"Yup," Lorelai gasped. "I know, why don't you tell me one of your fantasies and we can act it out?!"

"My fantasies?" he asked with a frown.

"Yeah!"

"I don't have any fantasies."

"Of course you do! Everybody has fantasies," she pushed.

"Well, I don't," he said, shifting uncomfortably.

"You're such a bad liar!" Lorelai exclaimed, laughing as his face flushed red with embarrassment. "Oh, it's a good one, isn't it? Come on, tell me. You know you want to."

"If I haven't told you any of this before, what makes you think I'd tell you now?" Luke argued.

"Because you're drunk," she said matter-of-factly.

"So you're trying to take advantage of me?"

"Uh, yes, obviously. And you get to take advantage of me. It's the mutual usury society in here."

"I really can't think of anything," he said.

"Come on, try. There's gotta be something."

"I don't know. I guess we could…" he hedged, before finishing flatly, "I don't know."

"Oh you were so close. Tell me!" Luke sighed.

"Well, I guess, if you're into it, we could try…" he let his sentence peter off.

"Yes, yes, tell me!" Her hand slapped excited against his chest in anticipation.

"We could _try_ 69ing," he finished, abashedly. Lorelai's smile dropped.

"69ing?" she mimicked.

"Yeah, you know, when you both…"

"I know what 69ing is, Luke," Lorelai cut in.

"Well, you were acting like you didn't," Luke said, becoming aggravated.

"That's not a fantasy, it's a sexual position."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is 69ing is just sex, it's not make believe," she explained.

"My mistake, I didn't realize _make believe_ was necessary in the bedroom," he shot back.

"Come on, you must have something else. Something that's been swimming around in your head for years that you never got to try," she urged. Luke rolled his eyes.

"I don't know what you want me to say," he complained. "Give me an example. What's one of your fantasies."

"Okay, fine," Lorelai said, boldly. "I've always been turned on by the idea of a big, strapping man – much like yourself – coming in and bending me over and taking me roughly. No preamble, no sensuality, just pure unadulterated sex and need," she explained. Luke tried not to be affected by her words, but the image was too tantalizing to ignore.

"Well that sounds good, let's do that," he suggested with forced lightness. Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"No, Luke, tonight's about you. We can do my thing anytime."

"I thought tonight was supposed to be about _you_. It was _your_ party," he argued.

"Alright, fine, it's about me and I want to do your thing." Luke sighed heavily and turned his eyes up to the ceiling of the limo, steeling himself.

"Fine, but if I tell you this, you can't laugh. No commentary, no movie references, just accept it as is and don't make me feel weird about it, okay?" he asked.

Lorelai put up three fingers. "Scouts honour," she promised. Luke eyed her skeptically for a moment before relenting.

"I guess I'd be interested in maybe, you know…" he trailed off. Lorelai watched him silently, encouraging him to continue. He cleared his throat nervously. "I kind of have this fantasy about being tied up. Nothing crazy, no whips and chains or anything, just tied up while the woman just kind of does what she wants with me."

His confession was met with silence, causing him to look up at Lorelai nervously. "What? Say something. Is it too weird?"

"No, it's not weird at all. I just thought you didn't want commentary," she said.

"Well, some acknowledgment would be nice so I don't sit here feeling like a freak," he groused. Lorelai smiled gently.

"Luke, you are not a freak. That's a very good fantasy. In fact, it actually kind of plays into one of mine, so it's the best of both worlds," she explained. Luke visibly relaxed at her words.

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. We can do a lot with that," she told him. Just as he seemed to ease, Lorelai had an idea. "Oh my god, we should stop at a sex shop on the way home! I bet we could get all kinds of toys to play with while we do it!"

"What? No," Luke dismissed quickly.

"Why not? It'll be fun!" she exclaimed.

"We are _not_ stopping at a sex shop. We'll have to make do with what we've got," he told her. Lorelai deflated slightly, but her smile was still intact.

"We're gonna have fun tonight," she said with a feline grin. Luke was still uncertain, but he shared her smile, feeling tantalized at the prospect of bringing his fantasy to life. Lorelai leaned forward and captured his lips in a firm and unrelenting kiss. He pulled back after a moment.

"Lorelai…" he began.

"Shh, you're interfering with my fantasy," she told him. Luke quirked an eyebrow.

"What fantasy is that?" he asked.

"The one where I make you my sex slave," she said with a cheeky grin. Luke laughed at that and shook his head.

"I shouldn't have asked."

"We all make mistakes," she teased lightly before meeting his gaze with a conspiratorial gleam in her eye. "You in?"

Luke took a long, deep breath and let it out.

"What the hell, I'm still drunk," he agreed. Lorelai laughed out loud at his acceptance, before leaning back in for a kiss, which Luke dodged. "But we're still not having sex in this limo," he said firmly.

Lorelai shook her head. "No sex, I promise. I just want you good and ready for me when we get back to your place."

"That's all, huh?"

"That's all," she assured him. Luke gave her another unsure glance before giving in.

"Don't make me regret this," he begged.

"Please, you won't even remember it tomorrow," she teased. He shook his head amusedly, knowing she was wrong, but he let her take the lead as she claimed his lips again in another searing kiss.

**XXXX**

True to Lorelai's word, once the limo pulled up in front of Luke's Diner, Luke was more than ready to get her upstairs. The trip home had been one of heavy making out and mutual heavy petting. Lorelai hadn't delved too much into her dominant role, but she had taken the lead, and Luke was more than happy to let her.

As soon as they got through the door to the diner, their lips fused again. Lorelai pulled Luke roughly down to her and claimed his mouth in a searing connection that left him breathless. Her hands tugged on his collar as her tongue forced its way between his lips, invading his mouth.

Clothes began to come off on the stairs. Her coral jacket was the first to go, then his tie. Shoes were kicked off, her dress was discarded, his shirt and pants were lost, all in quick succession until they were left in nothing but their underwear standing in the middle of Luke's apartment.

Lorelai pulled back suddenly and pushed Luke away, causing him to stumble backward toward the bed.

"You, lay down," she commanded. "And lose the shorts."

Luke felt his cock twitch at her tone, finding his hands going to work on his boxers before he made the conscious decision to do so. He followed her directions and laid in the middle of the bed, trying to catch his breath and forcing his hands to stay far away from his member, which begged for attention after the long buildup in the limo.

"What are you doing?" he asked, hearing Lorelai moving around his apartment, cabinet doors opening and closing roughly. She was mumbling to herself as she went.

"Nunya!" she called back. He huffed a laugh and shook his head, opting to leave her to whatever it was she was doing.

"Don't you have any rope or anything?" she called from around the corner.

"Why would I have rope?" Luke asked. She appeared before his bed, a wet dream in her lacy pink strapless bra and matching g-string.

"We need something to tie you up with," she explained. Luke watched as she stumbled a little on the way to his closet, the alcohol still clearly running through her veins, as it was his.

"We really don't need to," Luke attempted.

"Shush, you," she shot back. She pulled open the closet door. "Aha!" she exclaimed.

Luke watched curiously as she came back with one of his ties.

"Seriously, Lorelai..."

"Luke," she said. He sighed.

"What?"

"I don't want to hear another word from you, unless I ask you a question. Got it?" Luke's eyes narrowed as he observed her demeanor. She was standing tall, shoulders back, chest out, his tie slipping between her fingers seductively. She looked in charge, and he found himself inclined to do what he was told. She was sexy as hell.

"Yes, Ma'am," he agreed. She grinned and stepped forward with the tie, and then took a look at his solid wood headboard and frowned.

"This isn't gonna work," she slurred. "There's nothing to tie you to."

Luke didn't respond, understanding that she wasn't asking a question. He watched her take in the scene, turning the situation over in her head. He knew the moment she came to a solution, because that grin was back. She returned to his closet and emerged with a second tie.

"Arms out," she instructed. Luke watched her curiously, but obliged. She came to his side and wrapped the end of the tie around his wrist, knotting it tightly. She tugged on his arm and secured the other end to the leg of the bed before going to his other side and repeating the process, then standing back to admire her ingenuity.

Luke tested his bonds, finding himself with limited room to move, but enough slack to bend his elbows just slightly. He wasn't uncomfortable, but he couldn't deny that he was well and truly stuck.

Lorelai moved down to the foot of the bed, her eyes never leaving Luke's body. He could feel her gaze on him as she took in his state, naked, immobile, hard as a rock. She was almost menacing in the way she looked at him, and he couldn't deny that it was turning him on to painful proportions.

He'd allowed his mind to play out this fantasy many times, but nothing he conjured could compare to the reality of being at her mercy. Lorelai Gilmore was fantasy incarnate, and he questioned just how long he'd be able to last as she exacted her delightful torture.

"Luke." Her voice was soft and deceptively sweet. "Do you want me?"

"You know I do," he told her.

She crawled up the bed and hovered over him on all fours, bringing her face inches from his.

"Here's the deal. I'm gonna do what I want to you, and you're gonna lay here and take it. If you want to come, you ask permission. Got it?"

Luke swallowed hard around a lump in his throat and nodded. "Got it."

Lorelai leaned down and brushed her lips against his, almost imperceptibly. Luke yearned for it to go further, deeper, but she pulled back before he could get a feel for her mouth.

"I'm going to take my time with you," she promised. Luke groaned and she moved lower, her lips finding the pulse point on his neck and sucking on the skin there. Luke turned his head to grant her better access, and tried to breathe steadily as she went. Lorelai's tongue slipped between her lips and ran along the vein in his throat, providing an intoxicating pressure.

Luke moaned when Lorelai moved up and took his right earlobe between her lips, while her left hand slipped down to tease circles around his nipples with the nail of her index finger. There was something about having her play with his ears that he found incredibly sensual. Her teeth pulled against the sensitive tissue there, causing his breathing to pick up.

"You like that?" Lorelai asked, barely a whisper in his ear. She followed up by blowing on the lobe, moistened from her mouth. It was sharp and cool, and left him wanton with pleasure.

"Yes," he exhaled. She slipped her tongue out and licked the length of his outer ear, before returning to the lobe and sucking it back into her mouth briefly, and then down to the sensitive skin just behind his ear. Her ministrations had his hips moving of their own volition, seeking friction and finding only air.

"Tell me about your fantasy," Lorelai whispered in his ear. "Tell me how it plays out in your mind."

Luke swallowed heavily, nerves rattling in his inebriated brain as he fought to find the words. He hesitated to share, but he knew that would defeat the purpose. This fantasy was about submission, and to truly submit to Lorelai, he needed to do what he was told.

"It starts a lot like this," his voice was gritty and thick with arousal.

"Then what?" she pushed.

"You touch me. You make me beg for you."

"How do I touch you?" Her hand began to trace its way down his torso, nails scraping over his taught stomach on its way.

"You use your hands and your mouth to get me hard." He hissed as her hand went lower, a finger taking a swipe at his erection which stood straight up at attention.

"You're already so hard for me," she told him, wrapping her hand around the base of his cock and gripping him tightly.

"You take me further, until I need to come." He swallowed again. "And then you stop, and make me pleasure you."

"Mmm, I like the sounds of that." She stroked his cock from base to tip.

"Ung, please Lorelai."

She kissed his neck. "Please what?"

"Please, just... please," he finished. Lorelai laughed, her breath hitting the overheated skin of his neck, and she pulled away completely, her hand leaving his eager cock behind as it twitched and reached for her with a thrust of his hips.

She straddled his waist and dropped her weight onto his member, eliciting a groan from deep inside of him. Her lace-clad centre provided no relief to his need as she left it trapped between their bodies.

She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, pulling it away from her body and tossing it to the floor. Luke watched her intently as she exposed her breasts to him. She let her hands stroke up her body from her thighs to her breasts, taking them in her palms and groping them in handfuls. She caught Luke's gaze as she teased her nipples and ground down against his hardness between her legs, offering them both a taste of the pleasure that awaited them.

Luke moaned and his eyes snapped shut. He pushed his hips upward to meet her.

"Uh uh," Lorelai said, raising herself up out of his reach. "I want your eyes on me and your body still. This is my show."

Luke took a deep breath and let it out, forcing his body to relax into the bed. His eyes were heavy, but he trained them on Lorelai as she lowered herself back down.

Lorelai moved her hips gently, not putting her full weight back onto him. It was a tantalizing motion that teased the skin of Luke's cock but offered no real friction to relieve the tension that was building down there.

She squeezed and tugged her nipples between her forefingers and thumbs, moaning aloud at the sensation. Luke breathed deeply through open lips, his tongue darting out to wet them as she went. The vision was one of pure sexuality, and it caused him to salivate in his desire to touch and taste her.

Lorelai dipped lower and ground against him more firmly.

"Mmm, you feel so good," she told him as she enjoyed the feeling of him firm and ready between her legs. Her hands left her breasts and went to his chest as she braced against him to aid in her movements. They eyes locked as she went. "Tell me how it feels."

"Ung, Lorelai," he moaned. "You feel so good. So fucking good."

"What do you want me to do to you?"

"Anything you want," he said quickly. She grinned down at him. "Anything, Lorelai," he confirmed. He was leaving himself at her mercy, trusting that she wouldn't steer them wrong. She could do nothing to ruin this, only make it better.

"I want you to make me come," she told him, grinding harder. He nodded his affirmation, and she lifted her hips from his and slipped off the side of the bed to rid herself of the scrap of material that served as the sole remaining barrier between them.

Lorelai crawled back onto the bed and up toward Luke. She kissed his lips deeply for the first time since they began their exploration, and he gave back as good as he got, accepting her hot tongue in his mouth and sucking on it to enhance her experience. He wanted her to feel everything, to enjoy everything. He wanted to give her every ounce of pleasure she was depriving him of. He wanted to serve her in any way he could from his prone position, tied to his bed at the mercy of his beautiful girlfriend.

When Lorelai broke the kiss, she got up on her knees next to him and straddled his face with one knee on the bed beneath his outstretched arm, and her foot next to his head on the pillow, bringing her centre in line with his mouth.

"Make me come," she commanded, dipping down until she could feel his lips.

Luke's tongue darted out and licked the length of her parted slit, then moved in circles around her clit. He flicked his tongue against the engorged nub, causing Lorelai's breathing to speed up. She gripped the top of the headboard to steady herself and began to grind down into his mouth. He flattened his tongue against her clit and let her guide the motion, feeling her juices coating his tongue and chin.

Luke tilted his head up to improve his angle, and slipped his tongue over her in time with her grinding motions, causing her moans to get louder as she moved.

"Fuck me with your tongue," she directed. She moved up to bring him in line with her vagina, and cried out as he obliged. Luke lapped at her while she wound her hips in a circulation motion over him. He set up a steady pace, licking in hard, long strokes in an effort to provide as much pleasure as he could from his prone position.

Sinking into his rhythm, Lorelai stilled her motions, and planted harder against his mouth as he worked her over. She gripped the headboard as sparks of pleasure arced within her.

"Yes, Luke. Fuck," she cried, the feeling building in intensity within her.

Suddenly her clit begged for attention, buzzing with anticipation as Luke's mouth favoured her hole. She needed to feel him there, needed that connection to bring her over the top. She moved down, causing his tongue to slide out of her, licking her hard from her core to her clit.

"Suck on my clit," she exclaimed. Luke dragged the bundle of nerves between his lips and began to alternate between sucking and licking at it as Lorelai's hips began to move again and her cries became an unstoppable force falling from her lips.

"Yes. Oh my god, yes, Luke!" she cried, the feeling overwhelming her senses. She unhanded the headboard with one hand and reached between her legs to take a handful of his hair. Using it as leverage, she pulled his face up into her as she began to spasm, her hips moving frantically seeking the glorious friction of his tongue as she came. A surge of release escaped from inside of her, soaking Luke's mouth and chin as she went, leaving him lapping at her to claim everything she gave. She began to shake as she came down, still grinding over his tongue, taking everything he could give her until she was spent.

When Lorelai moved back, she moved with heaviness, reeling from the incredible orgasm he had just given her. She fell at his side, her body half over his, as she caught her breath.

When she began to compose herself, she looked up at Luke, finding him watching her intently, his face wet with her release. It was a remarkably erotic vision.

Lorelai climbed back over him and threw a leg over his waist, coming to straddle him, and claimed his lips again. She could taste every bit of herself on his lips. With her tongue, she began to lap at her own juices in his mouth and over his lips. She pulled back and with her hand, wiped his chin and neck clean off any remaining moisture.

"Your tongue is amazing," she told him once she was finished. Luke quirked a cocky grin.

"Glad to be of service."

"I bet you think you deserve a reward for that," she posited. Luke shrugged as best he could with his hands bound.

"I want whatever you want to give me." She smiled.

"Good answer."

"I'm a quick study," he told her. She leaned down and kissed him again, quickly, chastely, before pulling away again and crawling down his body. She kissed as she went, leaving no inch of skin unattended to.

When she finally reached the area where he needed her most, she stopped and looked up, finding him watching her intently.

"Eyes on me, the whole time," she instructed. He nodded his understanding, his breathing picking up at the sight of her lips so near his erection. He gasped when she took her first swipe, licking the underside from base to tip along his protruding vein once, twice, and then a third time before bringing her hand up to hold him steady.

She turned her eyes upward and met his gaze as she lowered her mouth onto him, covering just his head. Luke's lips fell open and his breathing picked up, the sight before him too erotic to look away from.

Lorelai's tongue swirled around his tip as she held him in her mouth, before she dipped down taking him in deeper. Her lips descended to meet her fist, which held him at his base and made up the difference for which Lorelai's throat could not accommodate. She pulled back, swirled the tip, and dove down again.

Luke fought to keep his hips still as Lorelai began sucking him in earnest, taking him in deep and retreating, deeper and retreating, sucking each time she pulled back and creating an incredible pressure that surged right through him.

She pulled off of him with a pop and with her tongue, teased his head, swirling around it and then flicking against the slit at the top, before taking him back in to repeat the process.

When she pulled back the next time, she began to pump him in her hand while she moved lower to lick and suck on his testicles. Luke spread his legs wider to give her more room to work, and he focused every ounce of energy on keeping still as she took advantage of immobility, working him over in the most sinful way.

He knew he was getting close. He knew that he couldn't last long if she continued to work him the way she was. He was already so hard, and had been for so long that he nearly ached for his release.

Lorelai heard his breathing pick up and his moans escalate to steady cries, with her name falling from his lips every few seconds, and she knew he couldn't hold on much longer.

But she wasn't done with him yet.

With one last swipe of her tongue from base to tip, she pulled away, leaving his member wet with her saliva, standing erect with only the cool air of the room for companionship. He groaned unwittingly in protest, wanting so badly to find the release that she had deprived him of.

"What's wrong, Luke? You didn't like that?" she teased, crawling back up his body.

"Liked it too much," he admitted, trying to steady his breathing. Lorelai grinned as her face reached his.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Fuck me," he ground out, his hips moving upward of their own volition.

"Tsk tsk, Luke. Is that any way to ask for a favour?"

"Please," he tried again.

"More," she demanded.

"Please, Lorelai."

"Please what?"

"Please fuck me. Please, God, just fuck me," he pled. That grin was back on her lips. That sexy, cocky grin.

"Flattering, but 'Lorelai' will be fine," she teased. Luke squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to regain control of his faculties. "Eyes on me," she reminded him. He forced them open.

"What do I have to say to get you to sit on my cock? What do you want me to do? I'll do anything, just please fuck me," he begged, his arms pulling fruitlessly against their restraints.

"Anything, huh?" she posed.

"Anything," he confirmed.

"Breakfast in bed?" She positioned herself over him, hovering just out of reach.

"The works," he promised.

"All the coffee I want?" She took him in her hand and guided him to her entrance.

"All the coffee in the goddamn world."

"And you'll dominate me later?" she hedged. Luke's eyebrows raised at that.

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," she ground out, dropping down until his cock barely sat inside of her. Luke grunted at the sensation.

"Anything, Lorelai. Fucking anything," he said with finality. Lorelai slid all the way down his erection, encasing it fully inside of her, moaning at the sensation of being completely filled by his long, thick member. Luke groaned loudly at the connection he had been so desperately seeking, but he didn't have time to get used to it, as Lorelai raised herself back up, and then slammed down again, setting up a savage pace that threatened to throw him over the edge without warning.

She reached a hand out and took hold of his jaw, focusing him in her direction.

"I come first," she informed him as she bounced on his cock. Luke nodded his understanding, but wasn't entirely sure he could keep that promise with her moving the way she was. She had already had one release, and couldn't possibly be as close as he was, he thought.

But Lorelai was more pent up that Luke could ever know. The buildup had been just as painful for her as it was for him, and her first orgasm felt like a primer to the big event. Nothing could compare to the feeling of their bodies connected in this way. Nothing ever would.

Lorelai braced herself on Luke's chest as she worked herself over him, her nails digging into the flesh there and leaving crescent-shaped marks in their wake. The combination of pleasure and pain drove Luke wild as his hands balled into fists and struggled against his ties. He wanted to touch her so badly, to grasp her hips and drag her over him, to take her bouncing breasts in fistfuls, to rub her clit until she was screaming his name.

But he couldn't do anything of those things. All he could do was watch as this perfect woman worked herself into oblivion on his cock, riding him desperately.

He nearly came apart when she dragged one hand from his chest and brought it to her clit. He watched as she rubbed herself frantically, all the while bouncing and grinding on him, bringing them both to the brink of climax.

"Oh fuck, Luke," she cried out. "I'm so close. So close." She raised herself up to give him room. "Fuck me, Luke. Fuck me, now!" she exclaimed.

Luke brought his knees up and began bucking up into her, fucking her as she lost her battle and came around his cock. The feeling of her spasming around him brought him to the edge from which he could not return.

"I need to come," he ground out.

"Are you asking me or telling me," Lorelai said in her post-orgasmic haze, still riding him furiously, meeting him thrust for thrust.

"Ung, please, Lorelai. I can't hold on," he pled. Lorelai could see him losing control, and knew that there was no denying him.

"Come for me," she demanded. Luke nearly cried with relief as his orgasm overtook him, sending shockwaves through his entire body. He pounded into Lorelai's hot, wet centre as he unloaded every ounce of pleasure, pain, teasing and tempting that she had put him through all night long. Every sultry look, every touch and taste, every moment of absolute torturous sexuality that she had unleashed on him came out in a moment unbridled satisfaction.

Luke's hips stopped moving, and his legs fell slack onto the mattress once he was finished. His exhaustion was complete. Lorelai, similarly afflicted, fell down on top of him, coming to rest with her head in the crook of his neck, their breaths coming in long heavy puffs as they sought to recover from the intensity of the moment.

It was some time later when Lorelai peeled her slick skin from Luke's and went about untying his wrists, leaving the ties laying slack on the floor, still affixed to the legs of the bed. Luke's arms creaked and groaned as he pulled them in toward his body, shaking them out to return some blood to the appendages. Lorelai curled under his arm, her head on his chest as they let their post-coital, post-drunk exhaustion overtake them.

"How'd I do?" Lorelai asked lazily.

"Huh?"

"How'd I do?" she repeated. "How did I stack up against the fantasy?" She could hear the chuckle in Luke's chest as he realized her meaning.

"You obliterated it," he told her. She smiled against the skin of his chest and placed a kiss there, just above his nipple. The two fell into a companionable silence for a few moments more.

Luke broke the quiet.

"You really want me to dominate you?"

"Yeah, sometime," she affirmed. When Luke didn't respond, she pulled away enough so she could look up and see his face. "Would you do that?"

"Sure," he agreed. He looked down at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "But why wait?"

Lorelai laughed. "You've got more in there, slugger?" she asked. Luke shrugged.

"I'd be willing to give it the old college try."

"Well then, Master Luke. How do you want me?" She pulled herself up and Luke followed suit.

"Well, first of all, don't call me 'Master Luke' because you sound like C-3P0." Lorelai laughed heartily at the Star Wars reference.

"Nerd," she teased. Luke forged on.

"Second, I want you on your back, head at the end of the bed."

"End of the bed?" she questioned.

"End of the bed, go," he instructed. Lorelai grinned, feeling a familiar ache beginning between her legs. It had only been about twenty minutes since the orgasm to end all orgasms, but she had a feeling Luke might be able to top it. She was eager to see what he had in mind.

She crawled on all fours toward the end of the bed, giving Luke a bit of a show with the sway of her hips and her bare ass teasing him as she went. Luke stood up from the bed as she followed his directions and laid on her back with her head at the edge of the bed. Luke walked to where she was, standing over her.

"Okay, here's the deal," he said, mimicking her rules from earlier. "I'm going to use you however I want, and your job is to please me. If you do that, maybe I'll let you come. Got it?" Lorelai grinned.

"Got it."

"Oh, and don't come without permission," he reminded her.

"Yes, Sir," she agreed eagerly.

She watched Luke upside down as he appraised her body. He leaned over her as his hands touched her skin, truly feeling her for the first time that night. Lorelai was tantalized by his hands on her, brushing over her breasts and midsection. He brought them down to her thighs and pushed them apart, leaving her open to him.

"I want your legs open for me unless I tell you to close them," he told her, his voice gritty with desire. Lorelai let her legs splay apart, the air hitting her core which was still slick from their previous encounter. The chill in the air tantalized and teased her. She wanted nothing more than for Luke to touch her, but he skipped over her centre completely, opting instead to drag his hands back up her body, retracing the route they had taken down to her thighs.

He took both of her breasts in his hands and squeezed them, gently at first and then more firmly. He dragged his palms over her erect nipples before taking them between his fingers and thumbs and tugging on them. Lorelai moaned at the contact, and he firmed up his grip, pulling at them more insistently.

"Ung, Luke," she moaned, her breasts craving the attention he hadn't been able to give them all night. She sighed as he leaned further over her and took one sensitive nub between his lips, circling it with his tongue, nipping and pulling at it with his teeth.

He pulled back then, and straddled her face.

"I want you to get me hard again," he told her. Lorelai leapt into action, her tongue coming out to lick his balls that hung over her lips. She brought a hand to his shaft, which was half-erect, and began pumping it in time with her tongue.

Luke leaned back over her and continued his exploration of her body while she worked him over. The feeling of her hands and mouth on him, combined with the taste and texture of her skin was an intoxicating combination that could almost convince him he was still drunk.

Lorelai pulled one of Luke's testicles into her mouth and began to suck on it in time with her strokes, causing a gasp to leave his lips. He stilled over her and closed his eyes as he allowed himself to live in the feeling of her ministrations. When she swapped to his other testicle, he gripped her waist to steady himself, not wanting to move or do anything to distract from what she was doing to him.

It didn't take long for him to become fully hard in her grasp. Lorelai was talented with her mouth, in a way Luke had never experienced with anyone else. She knew exactly how to bring him up, exactly how to make him want to crawl inside of her and live there forever.

Luke pushed himself back up and stepped back away from her. Lorelai let him pull away from her mouth and hands, and she looked up at him, awaiting further instructions. Luke began to stroke himself as he looked at her beautiful face and body before him, just waiting to be defiled.

"You're so sexy," he told her, hoping his words of adoration wouldn't break character. Lorelai's resulting smile told him she was just fine with it.

"Back at you," she responded. He grinned and looked down at her, trying to decide what to do next. He wanted to touch and taste every part of her. He wanted to bury himself inside of her and stay there. He wanted, he wanted, he wanted. But he couldn't decide.

"What do you want me to do to you?" he decided to ask, as she had often done when their roles were reversed.

"I want to taste you," she offered. Then, as an afterthought, "And have you taste me." Luke considered that for a moment, vaguely recalling their conversation in the limo.

"Move down a bit," he urged. She shuffled closer to the middle of the bed as directed. Luke moved over her, coming to kneel on the bed with his erection in his fist. Carefully, from above, he placed in between her lips. Her hand came up to his base, holding him steadily as she opened her mouth wide for him to dip inside of her, using her hand as a buffer so he wouldn't choke her. He accepted her guidance, and then leaned over her, dropping to his elbows with his face over her centre, perfectly positioned to provide attention to her clit.

As his hips thrust inside Lorelai's mouth, his mouth descended on her centre, and his tongue circled the ravenous nub that could not be sated. Lorelai moaned around his cock as he stroked and sucked on her clit, the two of them working hard to bring each other up in this new position.

Lorelai worked on Luke's cock dutifully, trying hard to tamp down on the distraction he was causing her with his ministrations between her legs, but it was difficult to focus on the task at hand. He knew exactly what she liked, exactly what to do to make her lose control.

The sounds of mutual moans filled the room as they each engaged each other, hips moving unbidden, lips and tongues working overtime to increase the pleasure that they were both feeling. With Luke taking the power position on top of her, Lorelai truly felt that she was at his mercy, and she wanted to submit to him, to give him everything he wanted and make him dizzy with pleasure.

Luke couldn't help but feel that dynamic taking hold as he licked and sucked at her clit in the way he knew drove her crazy, knowing he would deny her the release she was building toward. He didn't mind wielding that power over her, especially as he hovered from above with his cock in her mouth.

But he didn't want to come just yet. He wanted this to last a little longer, to let the fantasy continue to play out. Reluctantly, he disengaged, first pulling his mouth away from her centre, and then backing off the end of the bed, his cock leaving her mouth with a satisfying pop.

Lorelai looked up at him, her chest heaving from the intensity of the pleasure he had given her. Luke was similarly afflicted, knowing he was just moments from release if she hadn't stopped her work.

Luke moved around the bed until he was standing at the side, looking down at her. Lorelai followed him with her eyes. Her hands laid prone at her sides, and her legs remained splayed open, per his earlier instructions.

Luke crawled onto the bed, urged her legs further apart, and moved to kneel in between them. He crawled up her body and kissed her. It began tender and searching, but quickly escalated with the need they both felt. Luke kissed her hard, his tongue darting into her mouth as they tasted themselves on each other.

Lorelai moved her hands up to tangle in Luke's hair, which only served to remind him of their roles in this fantasy. He pulled away suddenly, and grabbed her by the wrists, moving them back down to the bed and holding them still on either side of her head.

"You don't touch me unless I tell you to," he said firmly. Lorelai nodded her understanding, but couldn't stop her body from writhing underneath him, desperate for more contact. "What do you want, Lorelai?"

"I just want you to touch me," she whispered. "Just touch me, please."

Luke leaned down and kissed her neck roughly, still restraining her wrists. She moved her head to the side to give him room to work, which he willingly took advantage of, running his lips and tongue over the sensitive skin of her neck and collarbone, then further down to ravage her breasts yet again.

When his hands left her wrists, Lorelai kept them where he had placed them, silently reminding herself not to move, not to do anything that would stop him from the adventure he was taking over her body.

She moaned loudly when his fingers found her centre. He sat up to watch her reaction as he pushed two digits into her heat.

"God, you're so wet," he ground out. He began to pump his fingers in and out quickly, causing her to gasp at the new sensation "Tell me what you want, Lorelai," he demanded.

Lorelai fought to keep her hips still against the onslaught, but she knew it was a losing battle.

"I want you inside of me. God, Luke, please," she begged. Luke continued with his fingers.

"I am inside of you," he teased.

"Your cock, I want your cock," she corrected.

"Oh, that," he said lightly. Lorelai moaned as he curled his fingers inside of her, hitting her g-spot.

"Please, Luke," she pled. Luke pulled his fingers from inside of her and grasped his erection, covering it in her wetness. She moaned at the sight of him pleasuring himself in front of her, overcome by the need to be filled by him. "Luke, please," she tried again.

"Get on your hands and knees," he instructed, his voice thick with need. Lorelai quickly obliged. Luke placed a hand on her back and pushed her down so her face was resting on the bed, with her ass high in the air. With his knee, he urged her legs apart until her centre was exactly where he wanted it, and then in one hard stroke, he entered her, eliciting a grunt and a moan from her.

With his hands on her hips, Luke set up a punishing pace. He knew she was close, and he was even closer after their second round of foreplay, and a night of unmatched and primal sexuality.

Lorelai bucked back, meeting Luke thrust for thrust as they went, their bodies slapping with each connection, his cock hitting her deepest depths on each stroke. She felt wanton and needy, and moaned his name repetitively as they made each new connection.

Luke knew he was close, but he needed her to go first. He wouldn't be able to go another round to get her there, he knew for a fact.

"Touch yourself," he commanded, knowing that there was nothing sexier than watching this woman tease her own clit. Lorelai obeyed immediately and reached a between her legs, seeking out the nub that held the key to her long awaited third, and final, release.

"Tell me how it feels," he said. Lorelai moaned and began to speak, her tone gravelly and sexy.

"God you feel so good, Luke. You're so deep," she moaned. He slammed into her harder. "So deep, oh my god."

"Do you like when I fuck you hard like this?"

"God, yes. Ung, fuck me, Luke. I'm so close."

His hands squeezed her ass one last time before he leaned over her, his hands going to either side of her on the mattress, his hips picking up the pace. He brought his lips to her ear.

"Do you need to come?" he asked.

"Ung, yes," she cried. She sped up her work on her clit as her orgasm threatened to overtake her.

"Beg for it," he ground out, reminding her who was in control. Lorelai moaned loudly, her orgasm beginning despite his warning.

"Oh Luke, I need to come. Please let me come!" she pled. He could feel her squeezing him tighter, and he knew she was losing her battle, and that in doing so, she would take him over the edge with her.

"Fuck, Lorelai. Come. Come now!" he exclaimed. She cried out in ecstasy as her climax overtook her. Luke dropped his head to the middle of her back as he went right along with her, deep grunts falling from his lips as he unloaded inside of her for the second time that night.

Lorelai collapsed onto her side as the final vestiges of her energy left her body. It was all Luke could do to aim for the space behind her when he, too, fell to the safety of the mattress, physically spent in every possible way. It took every bit of strength he had left to pull a sheet over their shivering and over-exerted bodies, before his eyes slipped shut, too exhausted to stay open.

The two laid like this, fighting sleep for several moments, too tired to right themselves on the bed, too tired to clean up.

"You good?" Luke managed to ask, though the words came out slurred and tired.

"So good," Lorelai confirmed. Luke leaned in and kissed the skin of her back.

"Good."

With that, the pair welcomed silence, neither aware of the two days of forgotten birth control pills in Lorelai's purse, nor concerned with the results of their escapades still deep within her as they both fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	19. Say Yes

**Say Yes**

**Inspired by Episode 6.01 - New and Improved Lorelai Gilmore**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _We should drink Zima and have sex every single night.  
 **LUKE:** OK._

**Description: Lorelai and Luke celebrate their engagement.**

* * *

Lorelai was buzzing. Was it from the three bottles of Zima she had consumed in less than an hour, or Luke's hot mouth exploring every inch of her skin? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that she didn't want it to stop.

She blocked out the bad. It was too bad to consider, too bad to let into the bubble that she and Luke had created the moment he said "yes".

Such a simple word, and her life was irrevocably changed. Yes. He'd said it twice. And then again later when she asked him if he was sure. And then she had said it when he asked her. Back and forth they went, one bottle down, _yes._ Another bottle down. _Yes, yes._ As he laid her in his bed. _Oh god, yes._

He kissed a trail down her sternum between her breasts, purposefully missing the parts where she wanted him most, but she didn't care. She was going to be his wife. For all she cared, he could take all the time in the world as he rediscovered every part of her body, claimed every sliver of slick skin for himself. She closed her eyes, a permanent smile on her lips as she sunk into the feeling.

Behind her lids, she saw their kiss in the gazebo.

 _"Really? You're gonna kiss me now?"_ she had asked. He nodded, the seriousness of his expression belied by the grin attempting to break through. _"You're so incredibly predictable,"_ she had mocked.

Then his lips were on hers, she didn't know for how long. Soon the lights went out again, the cyclists dispersed, Taylor had gone home, and they were still there kissing, holding each other in vice-like grips, unwilling to let the moment go. He'd kissed her breathless. Hell, he'd kissed her speechless – a far more impressive feat.

And then, after time untold, they had made their way back to Luke's apartment, where they toasted once more and the kisses came faster and deeper, more passionate. They started on the couch – merely a pretense of taking their time, before quickly migrating to the bed with bottles of chick beer in hand, ready to experience their first time together after promising each other forever.

Luke's tongue swept across her right nipple, and she was back in the moment as they lay naked on top of the sheets.

"Oh Luke," she exhaled. His touches felt like pure oxygen, leaving her hyperaware of his tongue, lips and fingers, creating a heady feeling of insatiable desire mixed with total satisfaction.

"God, I love you," he whispered, lips brushing the inside of her right breast. He took in a mouthful and sucked his way back to the hardened bud of her nipple, causing Lorelai's back to arch as she followed his movements. He could consume her whole like this and she would have been completely content to go that way.

He blew on the area that was left slick with his saliva, the stream of cold air contrasting sharply against her overheated skin. Before she could recover, he moved to her left breast and began kissing and nipping at the skin, anywhere and everywhere he could reach. His tongue swept the underside, where the soft curve met the firm wall of her ribs, teasing the sensitive and underappreciated span of skin. Lorelai's hips bucked up of their own volition, her whole body shivering at the sensation that straddled the line between temptation and tickling.

Luke smiled against her skin as he moved lower, tracing a line with the tip of his tongue down to the concave dip between her hip bones. Lorelai raised her head to watch him as he paid special attention to the spot just above her pubic bone, his tongue swirling around the skin there, sending waves of pleasure outward to each extremity. He dropped sweet kisses it its wake, nipped at her hips, and pressed his fingers a little harder into the skin of her upper thighs as he claimed the area for himself.

Lorelai let him spread her legs wide with a gentle push of his palms, revealing her to him as if it was the first time. He skipped over her centre, instead going for the crease at the top of her inner thigh, His tongue swept the length of it, and he began dropping open-mouthed kisses straight across as he went to provide the same attention to the other side.

The buzzing was stronger now, and she was sure it wasn't the Zima. She ached to be touched, longed to feel his tongue, teeth, fingers and lips against her most private places. The places she reserved just for him, the last man who would ever touch her like this.

Luke looked up at her and grinned as her hips moved again. With their eyes locked, he leaned in and took a swipe over her clit. Her gasp in response caught them both by surprise. She needed him. She couldn't go a minute more without him.

Luke reached up and took a handful of her breast in his right hand, squeezing and manipulating her nipple as he swept across her heated core yet again. Her clit throbbed against his tongue and her hips began to move in time with his pace. She covered his hand with her own on her breast, aiding him in pleasing her as he took total control of her core, feasting on her like she was his last supper.

"Oh yes," she moaned. That word, again, falling from her lips like a prayer as she melted into absolute pleasure. Luke sucked her clit into his mouth and released it, flicking it with his tongue and repeating the process as her moans became longer and more frequent, until her every breath was tinged with the release of her need as she threatened to fall over the edge.

Luke dipped lower still to slip his tongue inside her arousal, tasting her, finding her wet and sweet as she ached to be filled. Her head pushed back into the pillow as he teased a ring around her opening and lapped at her juices, ramping up her need to have him buried inside of her once again.

"Please, Luke," her voice came in a whisper. Even she didn't know what she was asking for. Just _please_. Just _Luke._ Just _yes. Yes. Yes._

When Luke finally retreated he sat up on his haunches and looked over her form as she writhed and panted, staring up at him with eyes as deep blue at the sea at twilight. Her lips parted and she silently begged him to fill her up, take her and be one with her.

"You're perfect," he told her, his voice thick with rasp. He took a swipe at his face, cleaning off what she had left on his chin and lips, though her taste still lingered on his tongue.

He nearly lost control when she reached between her legs and rubbed her clit. The vision was so erotic that he could swear he felt it deep inside of his own body.

"Luke." She picked up the pace on her clit, grinding down into her fingers. Luke watched as she went, his hand flying to his erection and taking a firm hold.

"Yes," he whispered. She moaned at that beautiful word, assent for so many things.

"Now, Luke," she demanded. "Now, please."

Unable to resist, Luke crawled over her and kissed her fully, passionately, before falling to the side. He nudged her up onto her side and slid in behind her, placing himself at her centre. He took his cock in his hand and pushed it between her legs, gliding across her soaking sex, gathering her wetness along his length before positioning himself to enter her, finally.

With a knee between her legs separating them for access, Luke slid in to fill her completely, and began to pump in deep, short thrusts. He reached around and grabbed her by the hand, guiding it back between her legs, pressing her index and middle fingers against her throbbing clit with his own as they worked together to bring her to the brink.

Luke dropped kisses to Lorelai's neck and shoulder as they moved together. She bucked back into him to meet each thrust, while their fingers sped up their pace over her clit, intensifying the pleasure she felt at every point.

As she got closer, Lorelai's head fell back against Luke's shoulder, exposing the length of her neck, which Luke eagerly took advantage of. He began to lick and suck her pulse point in time to his thrusts, in time to their fingers, until the confluence of sensations drove Lorelai over the edge with his name on her lips, and that beautiful word, _yes_.

Luke continued to work as she went through it, speeding up his thrusts, enjoying every second of her tightening and tensing around him, threatening to take him along with her. But he wasn't done yet. He wanted so much more.

Coming down from her height, Lorelai relaxed against the solid wall of Luke's body with his cock still deep inside of her, but his hips no longer moving. His fingers left hers and stroked upward, caressing the small swell of her stomach and breasts and the length of her neck, before gently cupping her face and turning her toward him. Leaning over her, he kissed her softly. Lorelai turned her body, allowing him to drop out of her as she deepened the kiss, opening her mouth to his tongue as it swept inside. Luke wrapped her up in his arms and pulled her body flush against his, revelling in the feeling of her hot skin against his, her hips moving against his erection trapped between them, still begging for release.

He made a little room as Lorelai snaked her hand down between them and took hold of him, rubbing up and down with a gentle grip, just teasing the sensitive organ. Luke exhaled into their kisses, a sigh of surrender to her ministrations.

When she pushed him onto his back, he went willingly. She moved in to kiss from his shoulder, to his neck, to his ear, swirling her tongue behind it before sucking the sensitive lobe into her mouth. She let her teeth graze the skin there, while tightening her grip on his erection as her strokes became more insistent. Luke closed his eyes and hummed his approval at the duelling sensations she was creating in his body, willing him toward the edge.

"Yes," he moaned as she swiped her palm across the head of penis, gathering the wetness she had left behind and rubbing it into the impossibly smooth skin of his shaft.

She flicked her tongue against his earlobe again, and then worked downward, retracing her earlier steps. Luke forced his eyes open to watch as she moved lower, taking a hardened nipple in her mouth and holding it between her teeth as she flicked the tip with her tongue. Luke hissed in response, a tinge of pain with his pleasure, never unwelcome.

She moved lower still, kissing across the muscular plains of his stomach, until her mouth finally came in contact with his erection. She took just the head inside, swirling her tongue around it and sucking shallowly, enjoying the sounds that seemed to come from the deepest parts of him. He reached down and caressed the back of her head gently as she worked over and around him, kissing, sucking and licking along the way.

"Lorelai," he said, when the pleasure threatened to push him over the edge. She released him and looked up, curiously. "C'mere," he urged. She smiled as he pushed himself up into a seated position, leaning against the headboard and a mountain of pillows. She crawled up his body once he was situated, and in a single dip, lowered herself onto him completely.

Luke circled her with his arms, holding her chest to his as he kissed her soundly. She began to move, her hips circling and swaying with a vague semblance of a rhythm, but mostly just doing whatever felt good and right in the moment.

"Oh yes," Lorelai moaned into his mouth, adoring the feeling of being filled by him again.

With his hands splayed wide, Luke caressed the length of her back until his palms came to settle on her ass, taking hold and guiding her movements on him as he sat still and sturdy beneath her.

"Ung, don't stop," Luke begged, the muscles in his abdomen clenching as he began to lose control.

Lorelai dropped her head back and stabilized herself with her hands on his shoulders as she sped up her pace, grinding her clit down against him with every twist and turn until she was moaning right along with him, their voices melding into a single sound of ecstasy as they were overcome.

Lorelai's hips continued to move as Luke's erection waned within her, drowning in their mutual releases. He stilled her with his strong hands when the sensation became too much to take.

The pair watched each other through heavy lidded eyes as they caught their breath. Lorelai's hands moved from his shoulders to his face, holding him and stroking his cheeks with her thumbs, in time to Luke's own thumbs stroking the skin of her hips.

"Marry me, Lorelai," Luke said, his voice almost imperceptibly soft. A smile bloomed on her features, overtaking the sweat and exhaustion left in the wake of their lovemaking.

"Yes," she whispered. " _Yes_."


	20. Luke's Moment

**Luke's Moment**

**Inspired By Episode 6:01 – New and Improved Lorelai**

**_KIRK:_ ** _You know I've been getting pretty close to proposing to Lulu myself. And when I heard what happened to you, it really freaked me out. I mean if Lorelai can just spring it on you like that, what's to stop Lulu from springing it on me?_

**_LUKE:_ ** _Your creepy friendships with really old women might do the trick._

**_KIRK:_ ** _Well I've been avoiding her for two days. Hanging up on her really quickly when she calls. She may be mad, but there's no way she's going to rob me of my moment._

**_LUKE:_ ** _Well, don't you feel sorry for me, Kirk. I'm going to have my moment._

**Description: Luke turns Lorelai's bad night around, and gets his moment in the process.**

* * *

Luke was amped up as he made his way through the town square to Lorelai's house. The ring box felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket. In his mind, he was running through scenarios and scripts, trying to pin down exactly what to say when he slipped the platinum band on her finger. Nothing he could come up with felt good enough.

It wasn't like he was proposing. That deed was done, and while he was more than happy to have it out of the way, he still needed to do something to show Lorelai that he was as ready for this step as she was. The ring was a symbol – it represented more than just their commitment to move forward in their relationship. It was his devotion to her, tied up in a tiny little package offset with a precious stone, one that would sit on her finger for the rest of their lives.

So the words had to be right.

He felt his heart beat faster as he rounded the corner onto her street. Overhead, the street lights were overshadowed by the most incredible full moon, illuminating the sky and the earth in a way that felt almost too perfect. Luke silently thanked the celestial bodies for doing him a solid, ensuring the stage would be set for the perfect romantic moment he had planned under the chuppah.

Luke bounded up the front steps to Lorelai's house, skipping two of them as he went. He stopped just outside the front door, took a deep steadying breath, and pushed it open.

"Full moon, moment's here, let's go!" he shouted into the house.

 _Smooth,_ he admonished himself. Here he was, trying to set up the ultimate romantic gesture, and his mouth was too fast for his brain.

He hoped Lorelai would ignore his outburst and sink into the moment with him.

It took a few seconds, but Lorelai finally appeared, coming from the direction of the kitchen. Luke noticed right away that her smile appeared plastered on and her eyes were red and weary.

"You okay?" he asked immediately, the box in his pocket momentarily forgotten.

"Yeah, I'm good. Full moon, you said?" she said, pushing past him out onto the porch. She looked up to the sky and caught the view. "Wow, pretty."

"Lorelai." Luke came out onto the porch behind her and closed the door. She turned to face him, still smiling.

"Moment's here, huh?" Luke frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine, I'm ready, let's do this," she pushed. Luke reached out and grabbed her hand before she could descend the stairs.

"Talk to me." Her smile faltered.

"I'm okay, Luke. I promise."

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Don't hide from me. I've known you for nine years, Lorelai. I know when you're upset." The smile fell away completely and she took a shaky breath.

"It's just been a day," she said quietly. "A day I'm really looking forward to forgetting about."

Luke sighed and pulled Lorelai along with him as he led them to the sofa on the porch. They both sat down and he turned toward her, giving her his undivided attention.

"What happened?"

"It was nothing. I just brought Rory's things to my parents' house, that's all." Lorelai dropped her head, looking down at their linked hands. Luke stayed silent, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I told them she was all theirs," she finally said. "Their second chance at having the daughter they always wanted. It was ugly."

"Ugh, Lorelai. That's not nothing," he told her. She shook her head, her eyes downcast.

"It was though. Nothing changed. Nothing's better, nothing's worse. It's just the way things are now."

"Just for now," he reminded her. "This isn't going to last forever."

She looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes.

"How do you know?" A tear overflowed, and Luke caught it with his thumb, wiping it away from her cheek.

"Because I know Rory, and I know you, and there's no force on earth that can keep the two of you apart for long," he told her, matter-of-factly.

"There's just something so permanent about a packed box, an empty room. Her stuff is there. Her life is there. She doesn't need me anymore," Lorelai let her concerns spill unfiltered, as if realizing some of them for the first time.

"Hey, that's not true," Luke said forcefully. "That'll _never_ be true."

"Maybe not," she allowed. She wiped another tear away and shook her head against the rest of them. "I'm sorry, you were all excited when you got here and I just ruined everything."

"You didn't ruin anything," he assured her. She sighed and leaned into him. He put an arm around her shoulder and she rested her head against his chest. Lorelai closed her eyes and turned her face into Luke's shirt, inhaling deeply, his scent bringing her some semblance of calm as she tamped down on the angst that was swirling within in her.

Luke began rubbing Lorelai's arm, up and down, in a steady, calming rhythm. He dropped a kiss on top of her head and just held her still as she relaxed into him.

It was several moments later when he spoke again.

"I need you to know that I think you're amazing," he began quietly. She didn't move from her position, but she listened intently. "You're an amazing mother, an amazing friend, an amazing partner. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, and you have this incredible spirit. Sometimes I don't know why someone like you loves someone like me, but I promise to do my part to make it worthwhile. I want you to have a happy life, and I want to be the guy who gets to share it with you."

"When you asked me to marry you, the reason I didn't have to think about it was because my mind was made up the moment I kissed you at the Dragonfly. I'm _all in_ , Lorelai. I promise you that."

Luke pulled the box out of his pocket and flicked it open with his thumb. He held it where Lorelai could see it from her position against his chest.

"I can get another one if you want, a better one," he finally said, bashfully. Lorelai pulled away just enough so she could see his face. The smile that graced her lips this time was genuine.

"Don't you dare," she told him. Luke smiled and pulled his arm from around her shoulders so he could pluck the ring from the box. He took hold of Lorelai's left hand and the ring slid gently into place; a snug, but comfortable fit.

"Oh, Luke," she said in an exhale. She regarded the ring before meeting his gaze. "I think you're pretty amazing too."

Luke smiled and leaned in, kissing her gently. When they broke a few moments later, Lorelai stood and pulled Luke up with her.

"Come with me." Luke went willingly as she led them back into the house, but he stopped at the base of the stairs. Lorelai stopped on the first step and eyed him curiously.

"Hey, we don't have to do this tonight,” he said. Lorelai reached out and let a hand rest on his chest, over his heart.

"I just want you to make me feel good, Luke," she told him. Luke nodded his understanding.

"I can do that."

"I _know_ you can." She offered him an awkward wink, which made him laugh lightly. She tugged at his hand again and he followed her as she led the way upstairs to her bedroom.

Once inside, Luke used his grip on her hand to pull her body against his. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck as his went around her waist, bringing her body against his as their lips met in a gentle kiss.

Luke pulled back and pushed the blazer off Lorelai's shoulders before moving his lips to her neck. Lorelai sighed and brought her hand to the back of his head, stroking his hair as his mouth worked over her in open-mouthed kisses, his tongue laving her with affection.

Lorelai placed her right hand flat against Luke's stomach and felt upward along his torso, over his pecks and broad chest, coming to meet her other hand behind his head. He reclaimed her mouth in a heated kiss, which she eagerly gave back, lips opening automatically to accept his tongue into her mouth.

Luke circled her body with his arms and pulled her close to him, his palms going flat against her backside and holding her still as he pushed his hips into hers so she could feel what she was doing to him. Lorelai moaned into his mouth and ground into him, eliciting a groan of satisfaction from deep within him.

Hands began to roam freely then, slipping under shirts and feeling heated skin begging to be revealed.

Luke broke the kiss long enough to slip Lorelai's blouse over her head, and then he kissed her again as she went to work on the buttons of his flannel.

Together, they worked to undress each other, until they were finally without barriers. Luke directed Lorelai to the bed, where she fell down onto the soft mattress. Instead of letting her move to the middle, Luke pulled her centre to the edge of the bed and pushed her to lay down with a gentle hand on her chest. Lorelai took the direction and laid back as Luke kneeled at the edge of the bed and pushed her legs apart, opening her to him.

Luke leaned in and swept her parted lips with his tongue in one long stroke, revelling in how ready she was for him. He dipped back in for a second taste, this time dipping his tongue inside of her, lapping at her outer core in languid strokes.

Lorelai sighed and let her legs come to rest over Luke's broad shoulders as he continued to penetrate her with his tongue. Luke put his hands on her thighs as he dove in deeper, palming the smooth skin there. Lorelai moaned at the roughness of his hands against her sensitive skin, teasing and tempting her. She wanted him to touch her everywhere.

Luke finally let his tongue leave Lorelai's heat and slipped up higher to circle her clit. Her hips bucked at the sensation of him hitting her where she wanted him most. Luke took his time circling the area with the tip of his tongue before flatting it against her in a long, hard and insistent stroke that had her moaning into the darkness of the room and her hand flying down to tangle in his hair.

He continued his ministrations for minutes longer, alternating between lapping at her and flicking her engorged clit with the tip of his tongue, leaving her writhing and grasping at him as he brought her up, and then backed off over and over again.

Finally, Luke pulled back. Lorelai let her legs fall away from his shoulders and she watched him, heavy-lidded as he stood up to full height between her legs. He stroked his erection as he looked down at her, breathing heavily, her hands teasing her own breasts almost unconsciously as she watched him watch her.

Luke was about to move over her when Lorelai pushed herself up into a seated position, leaving her face just a few inches from the tip of his erection, which he continued to stroke. Lorelai looked up at him, a small smirk on her face as she brought her hand up to replace his. Luke let her take it, and in seconds her mouth was on him, covering his head. Luke grunted at the sudden change in sensation, and he rested a hand on her head as she began to move over him in earnest.

Lorelai sucked him in as deeply as she could, holding him there for several seconds before releasing him and beginning short and quick strokes, combined with her tongue winding around his head each time she eased back. She could hear Luke's breathing pick up as she went. Her name fell from his lips each time she pulled back, sucking as she went, creating the most incredible pressure for Luke to enjoy.

Luke let her go for a few minutes until he knew that he wasn't going to be able to hold on. He knew exactly how wet Lorelai was for him, and he needed to feel that heat surrounding him.

He pulled back and let his erection drop from her mouth. She let it go, but continued to pump him in her hand, slipping up his shaft to tease his tip with her grasp. Luke groaned leaned down to capture her lips in a searing kiss as he pushed her back onto the bed.

The pair situated themselves in the middle, Lorelai's head against the pillows, as Luke took his position above her. He kissed her again as she reached between them to take him in her hand and guide him to her centre.

Luke pushed in slowly, teasing her entrance as he dipped in and back out a few times, each time going deeper and deeper until he was fully sheathed in her. Lorelai pushed her head back into the pillows as she embraced the sensation of being so completely filled by the beautiful man between her legs. It was her favourite feeling in the world.

Luke pulled out slowly and pushed back in, setting up a deliberate pace. He held himself above her on his forearms and kissed her tenderly as he moved. Lorelai wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling his weight onto her, not willing to have even an inch of space between their bodies, desperate to feel his skin against hers.

In this position, Luke remained deep inside of her, with short thrusts that took him out not halfway. Neither minded the lack of friction, instead they enjoyed the feeling of connectedness at every part of their bodies.

Luke and Lorelai continued this slow embrace for a long time, amplified by long, deep kisses, tongue slipping against tongue, soft sighs lost in each other's mouths.

Eventually, Luke brought himself to his knees and pulled Lorelai up with him. Sitting up in the middle of the bed with her legs wrapped around Luke's waist, Lorelai began to move. He sat so deep inside of her this way. She circled her hips against his, her clit grinding into him on each movement, increasing her pleasure tenfold. Luke's hands went to her hips and helped her move as his lips dropped to the place where her neck met her shoulder. He pushed up into her, revelling in her heat and wetness that consumed and tantalized his entire member.

Lorelai's breathing began to pick up in this new position, and her movements sped up unbidden. Luke pulled back to watch her face as she worked herself up on top of him. Her eyes met his in an intense stare as pleasure coursed through her veins. Her mouth dropped open as she ground harder, her breaths coming short and fast. Luke could see that she was about to come apart, and he wanted to witness every second of.

"Yes, just like that," he encouraged her, his voice deep and full of rasp. Lorelai moaned at the timbre of his voice and let the combination of sensations overtake her. Her eyes clamped shut and she bucked against him as fast as she could as she came hard. Luke could feel every second of her orgasm around his erection, encasing him fully as she tensed and pulsed. The experience had him flying over the edge along with her, her climax milking him dry as it went on.

Lorelai's body began to shiver as she came down from it. Luke wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her flush against him. Her head dropped to his shoulder as she caught her breath and waited for the shaking to subside. He held her as she went through it; her rock, her eternal constant.

When finally they broke apart, Luke eased Lorelai back down onto the bed, her head nestled in the pillows. He pulled the blankets over both of them and laid on his side with his arm slung across her middle, his head resting on her chest. She reached up and began to play with the hair at the nape of his neck absentmindedly, finding it damp with sweat from their activities. Luke kissed her skin just above her breast tenderly, and closed his eyes.

"I don't know how you keep doing this," Lorelai said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Doing what?"

"Taking the worst moments in my life and turning them into some of the best." Luke pulled back so he could see her face. She was looking up at the ceiling, but didn't seem to be focused on their physical surroundings.

"What are you talking about?"

"You did it the night I found out about Rory. I don't know if I've ever felt worse, and then we were engaged, and for a brief shining moment everything was right in the world."

"Technically, you did that," he reminded her. She turned to him with a grin.

"I had to. How could I just sit there listening to how much you love me and my kid and _not_ propose?"

"Beats me," Luke jested lightly in efforts to alleviate the heaviness.

"And then tonight, I was so down, Luke. I was so upset. And then you came home and you just turned it all around."

"I hate that you're sad," he told her. She shook her head.

"I'm not sad anymore. For right now, I'm perfectly content. How is that possible?"

"That's my job as the fiancé, isn't it?"

"I don't know. I think it's just you." Luke leaned in and kissed her forehead affectionately.

"You're very sappy tonight," he told her with a small grin.

"I guess you just bring it out in me," she said. "Is that okay?"

"That's okay," he assured her. He shifted towards her, closing the small gap between their bodies and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Lorelai sank into his embrace, letting his soft touches ease away what was left of her awful night.

There would be ample time to deal with life's other dilemmas the next day, and in the days and weeks after that. For now they could just enjoy these tender moments, where all that mattered was them, their love, and their future together.


	21. Luke Can Waltz

**Luke Can Waltz**

**Inspired by Episode 4:22 – Raincoats and Recipes**

**_RORY:_ ** _Luke can waltz?!  
 **LORELAI:** Luke can waltz.  
 **RORY:** Look how you just said, "Luke can waltz."  
 **LORELAI:** What, I'm just saying, I'm surprised that Luke can waltz.  
 **RORY:** That sounded more like, "I'm surprised I still have my clothes on."_

**Description: A romantic evening finds Lorelai and Luke recreating a special moment in her living room.**

* * *

For Lorelai Gilmore, anniversaries were tricky things – primarily, because she hadn't had many relationships last long enough to actually celebrate them.

But here she stood with Luke on the precipice of a year. Well, at least she _thought_ she did. There were so many significant moments that led up to their relationship, she genuinely wasn't sure on which date they became a real couple.

She thought perhaps their anniversary should recognize the night they shared their first dance at Liz and T.J.'s wedding. That was their first date. Well, sort of. To anyone with eyes, it had been a date, but she hadn't put two and two together at the time.

There was also that fateful night at the Dragonfly when Luke had finally kissed her. The kiss had blown her away, but they hadn't defined their relationship, and Luke was left wondering if she was even interested in pursuing a relationship with him.

The next day, they'd admitted over the phone that they wanted to date each other. Was that the day their relationship really started?

Of course, instead of getting their date that night, Luke had run away to the circus – or the Renaissance Faire, same thing – for seven long weeks, effectively putting whatever was developing between them on hold until he returned home.

Their first official "everyone here knows this is a date" date happened near the end of the summer. It was perfect, and there was no question that their relationship started in earnest that night, between the amazing meal at Sniffy's Tavern, Luke showing her the horoscope he had kept in his wallet, and then taking her home and making love to her all night long. Maybe that was their real anniversary.

All of these potentials were swirling in Lorelai's head as the first significant date on that list was barrelling down on them, and she wasn't sure if she should be planning something special for Sunday night, or if Luke was even under the impression that they had an anniversary coming up. She made a mental note to ask him about it when she saw him later that day.

She sighed and stared at the calendar on the front desk at the Dragonfly. It was just sitting there mocking her. She scowled at the offending paper and attempted to return her attention to the task at hand. There was a baby shower being held at the inn that weekend, and it just happened to be taking place on the anniversary of Liz and T.J.'s wedding, which is what had sent her into this spiral in the first place.

Celebrating an anniversary with Luke felt monumental, like it somehow gave credibility to all they had been through together. A year was substantial. A year was the point when people stopped cooing over how new and exciting their relationship must be, and started taking it seriously as a potentially long-term thing. And Lorelai fully intended this to be a long-term thing. Being with Luke was what she wanted for the long haul, and now that they were engaged, she knew he felt the same way.

She sighed at the notebook in front of her, the notes taken in her meeting with the hostesses of the baby shower scrawled clumsily on the pages, waiting to be inputted in their digital booking system. Shaking off the distraction of the looming date, she attempted to refocus on the task at hand.

**XXXX**

Lorelai decided to take a break from work for lunch, and headed for Luke's. She was craving a burger like water in the desert, and was maybe missing Luke just a little. Thinking about their significant dates had left her yearning for the man who was so important in her life.

When she entered, the place was busy with the lunch rush. She knew she wasn't likely to get too much face time with the boss, but she decided to take her chances anyway, plopping down on the stool nearest to the cash register. Luke came to stand in front of her after refilling some coffees.

"Hey, Doll," Lorelai greeted.

"Hey back." He leaned over the counter and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Coffee?"

"In a vat," she confirmed. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly and pulled a mug out from under the counter, filling it to the brim with the dark liquid.

"You staying for lunch?"

"I'll take a cheeseburger to go. I have to get back to the inn."

"Coming right up." He turned back to the kitchen and called out the order to Caesar before returning to her.

"So," Lorelai broached. "Big weekend coming up." Luke eyed her curiously.

"It is?"

"Yeah, it's Liz and T.J.'s wedding anniversary," she reminded him. She watched as Luke went over the calendar in his head.

"Oh, you're right. Wow. Hard to believe it's been a year."

"I know, it flew by, huh?"

"No, I mean it's hard to believe it _lasted_ a year," he clarified.

"Be nice.”

"Sorry," he said with no hint of remorse.

"So are you going to call them? Wish them a happy anniversary?"

"Why would I do that?"

"She's your sister, Luke."

"I still haven't seen proof of that,” he deadpanned.

"Besides," Lorelai said, ignoring him completely. "It'll mean a lot to her that you remembered."

"But I didn't remember. _You_ remembered."

"And as your fiancée, I am now an extension of you," she teased lightly.

"Just what I needed."

"Call her," Lorelai pushed.

"I couldn't if I wanted to. They're out on the Faire circuit for the summer."

"They don't have cell phones?"

"Nope. Cell phones are contraband, strictly prohibited," he lied.

"It's a Renaissance Faire, not prison."

"I see no difference.”

"Luke..."

"Fine, fine, I'll call her. Happy?" he relented.

"Delighted," she said, amusedly. She took a beat before continuing. "So it's kind of an important date for you and me too," Luke quirked a smile at that.

"Yeah, I guess it is. It was kind of like our first date." He leaned over the counter on his forearms, and Lorelai leaned in as well, creating an intimate bubble between them.

"So, would you say this is our anniversary too?" she asked.

"I uh..." he thought for a moment. "I don't really know."

"I mean, it was technically our first date. But I didn't really know it at the time."

"Details," he joked.

"It's just that we had a couple significant moments last year, and I'm having trouble figuring out when our relationship actually started," Lorelai admitted.

"Well, does it matter?" he asked. "We're engaged now, so we'll be celebrating a new anniversary after next year anyway."

"You're right," she allowed. "It just seems weird not to celebrate. A year is kind of a big deal."

"Yeah, sure," he agreed. "But I don't really think Liz and T.J.'s wedding day is our anniversary."

"But if not then, when?"

"Well, there was the test run, the night we kissed," Luke suggested.

"Right. And then Kirk's night terror effectively put an end to the kissing," Lorelai reminded him.

"I'll never get the image of Kirk's naked butt out of my head," Luke said with disgust.

"Sorry."

"So it's not the test run," Luke allowed. "What about the next day? The phone call..."

"The call definitely set something in motion," she agreed.

"But then I went to Maine for seven weeks." Lorelai frowned.

"It was a long seven weeks."

"You're telling me," he said emphatically.

"But I feel like we were together even though we were apart, you know?" Lorelai said. "I mean, sure, we hadn't had _the talk_ , but I was pretty committed while you were gone." She eyed him curiously. "Weren't you, you know, committed?"

"Of course I was," he exclaimed. "Lorelai, the moment I decided to ask you to Liz's wedding, I was committed." Lorelai smiled at his sweetness.

"So you're saying you didn't spend any quality time behind the Horn of Plenty with Grog Booth Annie," she teased. Luke visibly recoiled at the thought.

"And risk communicable diseases? Pass," he said firmly, causing Lorelai to laugh heartily. "And I mean, you didn't... while I was away," he asked timidly.

"I didn't what, date?" He nodded. "No, not at all. I spent every waking minute sitting by the phone waiting for you to call," she teased.

"Good,” he said with a small grin.

"We're no closer to landing on an anniversary date," Lorelai reminded him. Luke sighed and thought more about it.

"Do you want to just make it easy and go with our first date at Sniffy's?" Luke said.

"You mean celebrate our first time together? How very Harlequin of you."

"I give up," Luke sighed, and Lorelai laughed heartily.

"No, no, let's go with that. Our first time. It was a perfect night." Luke quirked a small grin.

"It was pretty great," he agreed.

"Then it's settled. August 21st is our anniversary," she told him. Just then, Caesar appeared with her burger.

"Order up!" he called. Luke turned back and grabbed the bag, placing it on the counter in front of her.

"Here's your lunch, Crazy Lady."

"Thanks," she gestured to her still-full coffee. "Can I get this to go? I really do have to get back to work." Luke obliged and transferred her coffee to a to-go cup. He came around the counter and handed it back to her.

"I'll see you tonight?" he asked.

"See you tonight." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before grabbing her lunch and heading for the door.

August 21st seemed like the perfect day to celebrate their relationship.

**XXXX**

On Sunday Lorelai had spent all day at the Dragonfly, tending to the baby shower. The barrage of games, the two-and-a-half hours of gift opening, the oohs and aahs over sonogram photos, the incessant photos – it all made her feel relieved that her pregnancy had been such a scandal that she hadn't had been thrown a shower.

But the event did keep her occupied, so much so that she didn't have time to think about her evening with Luke. Not that there was anything to think about – they had agreed this wasn't their anniversary. Luke was planning to come over after work to cook dinner and watch a movie, but other than that, it was a regular weekend for them.

Lorelai wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed with that knowledge.

She shook it off and refocused on the baby shower, which was blessedly wrapping up. It took the bellman and three kitchen staffers to load all of the gifts into seven different vehicles when it became clear the hatchback the mom-to-be was driving was woefully inadequate to carry the haul. Lorelai shook her head; octuplets didn't need this much stuff.

By the time they were done and the party was gone, Lorelai was wiped. She helped her staff clear out the dining room before finally giving up. She hadn't even been slated to work this event, but when it became clear that the party planners were a little extra _particular_ , she decided to manage it herself rather than sticking it on the weekend manager.

Lorelai called Luke's cell when she finally left the inn. He told her he was still at the diner, but he would meet her back at her place later that evening. She knew he was planning to make dinner that night, but she was starving and briefly considered going to the diner for a pre-dinner burger and chili fries with a side of milkshake and pie.

She figured he would frown on that, which was the only reason she headed straight home.

She stopped short when she entered her house, surprised to find that she was not alone. She headed into the living room and found Luke stoking the flames of a fledgling fire he had started, candles flickering around the room, shades drawn to cast out the light of the sunny spring evening.

Luke smiled at her and got up from his spot in front of the fireplace, walking over to greet her.

"What's all this?" Lorelai asked, taking in the scene.

"Nothing much," he lied. Lorelai looked around and shook her head.

"Well that's the understatement of the century," she said.

"I just wanted to do a little something. I know it's not really our anniversary, but it's still an important day for us and I didn't want to let it go by without acknowledging it," he said, a little sheepishly.

"Luke Danes, don't tell me you're a closet romantic," Lorelai teased lightly, but her heart fluttered at the sentiment.

"You keep that to yourself."

"Deal," she agreed.

"So, you hungry?" he asked.

"Oh my god, yes!" she exclaimed, her stomach grumbling in a most unladylike fashion. Luke laughed at her enthusiasm and gestured toward the kitchen where something that smelled amazing was waiting for her. As they ate their supper, the pair talked easily about their days. Lorelai noticed that Luke was cagey about the rest of his plans for the evening, but she decided to let it go, opting to let herself be surprised by whatever it was he had up his sleeve.

After dinner, Lorelai sat on the living room couch sipping red wine as Luke tended to the fire. The flickering flames added to the romantic atmosphere that Luke had worked so hard to curate throughout the evening. They chatted about everything and nothing in a way that made her think of the beauty and simplicity of domesticity. This was what her life would be like, she thought. Quiet nights at home with her husband, drinking wine, eating good food, laughing, teasing and loving each other.

It sounded pretty good to her.

Once Luke was satisfied with the fire, he reset the screen in front of the fireplace and moved on. Lorelai watched him with curiosity as he dug around in a bag she hadn't even noticed was there.

"What'cha got in there, Mary Poppins?" she asked.

"It's a surprise," he came back.

" _Another_ surprise?"

"Yes, _another surprise_ ," he mimicked. He pulled out a box with a cord and plugged it into an outlet before returning to the bag and pulling out another item that he shielded from Lorelai's vision. He popped the box open and slid something out – a record. She quirked a grin, wondering what he was up to.

A moment later, a familiar tune filled the space. She couldn't immediately place it. Luke returned to where she was on the couch and held a hand out to her.

"You wanna dance?" he asked. She smiled widely, suddenly remembering the song.

"I thought you said you didn't dance," she came back. Luke laughed, and she put her hand in his allowing him to pull her to her feet. She set her wine on the table by the sofa and let him pull her into him. She hadn't even noticed that the coffee table had been pushed out of the way, creating an intimate dance floor in the middle of the living room.

As the familiar words of Reflecting Light entered her consciousness, Lorelai sunk into Luke's embrace. This dance was so different from their first. That time her stomach had been full of butterflies, and she was worried about stepping on toes, and she was discovering Luke's cologne for the first time, and it had all mixed together to create a feeling of otherworldliness. She had let him whisk her around the dance floor, impressing her with his ability to waltz, while simultaneously keeping her upright because knowing that he _knew_ how to waltz could have knocked her over with a feather.

This time, Lorelai felt like her feet were planted firmly on the floor as she sunk into Luke's warm, strong arms that she was so well acquainted with. She felt comfortable wrapped up in him like this. He still guided them in small circles, their feet moving in that classical waltzing rhythm, but this time he held her closer. It was more intimate. His hand held hers in a way that was firm and practiced, his other rested comfortably on the base of her spine, a thumb rubbing small circles on her lower back.

If forced to choose, she would have to admit that she liked this feeling better. Being in Luke's arms like this, celebrating one of many important moments in their relationship, felt like a perfect moment.

As the song neared its conclusion, Lorelai slipped her hand out of Luke's and around the back of his neck where her other played with his hair at the nape of his neck. She laid her head on his shoulder and breathed in deeply, surrounded by his scent. Luke brought both of his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer, a feat she didn't think was possible.

Their rhythm got lost in the transition, until eventually they were just swaying together in her living room, too wrapped up in each other to notice that the song had ended and the room was bathed in silence once again. Lorelai pulled away just far enough so she could see Luke's face in the firelight. He always looked at her with the kindest eyes, which made her feel like she would melt into a puddle of goo if he weren't there to hold her up.

She tilted her chin up and Luke met her halfway in a soft and sensual kiss. She smiled against his lips, loving the feeling of being totally wrapped up in his arms again. It had quickly become her favourite place to be when they started dating, and now it was her safe haven. She sighed contentedly into the kiss and returned it with feeling as Luke kept going, their bodies swaying to the music that no longer played.

After several moments Luke pulled away, much to Lorelai's dismay. She watched as he grabbed a heavy Sherpa blanket from the back of the sofa and spread it out on the floor in front of the fireplace, followed closely by a few throw pillows tossed down at the top of it. He gestured to the make-shift bed and Lorelai laughed at his general adorableness as she took the direction and went to lay by the fire. Luke followed her down.

"This has been a really great non-anniversary," Lorelai said, snuggling into the crook of his arm. Luke kissed the side of her head and pulled her in closer.

"We're nothing if non-traditional," he told her. Lorelai smiled at that, thinking of the ways this relationship differed from all of her others. There was never any doubt that Luke was it for her. She never felt like bolting, she never felt like she was missing anything.

Although her life was complicated right now, with the rift between her and Rory, she knew she could come home to Luke and everything would be okay, if only just for the night. That was a sense of satisfaction and comfort that she was totally unfamiliar with. It felt nice. Really nice.

Lorelai rolled over onto her stomach so she could peer down at Luke beside her.

"You're pretty great, you know that?" she asked. Luke offered a small smile.

"I'll take it," he allowed.

"I think I'm gonna keep you." Luke laughed and reached a hand up, tracing her jawline with his thumb.

"Just try to get rid of me." He let his hand rest fully on her cheek and pulled her down to him for a soft kiss. Lorelai leaned into it, resting some of her weight on top of him as she opened her mouth and teased the seam of his lips with her tongue, to which Luke happily granted access.

As their tongues slowly stroked and slid over one another's, Luke turned them both so he and Lorelai were laying on their sides, heads rested on the throw cushions, kissing deeply but slowly, drinking each other in.

Lorelai shifted as close as she could and slung a leg over Luke's hip, wanting to be closer to him. His hand went to her thigh, holding her there as he pushed their tongues in to explore her mouth. Lorelai opened for him, bringing a hand to the back of his head to hold him close as their lips moved together in a practiced dance that neither would ever tire of.

There was something so comforting about kissing Luke, Lorelai thought as their mouths moved together. It was familiar in a way that felt like coming home, or drinking the perfect cup of coffee, or smelling fresh baked cookies. She never felt like she had to prove something when they were kissing or touching each other. He was so attentive and gave her so much of himself, and was totally accepting and encouraging of what she gave back.

She smiled against his lips, thinking about all of the times they had done this, just kissing each other for minutes, or hours, or all night. The tenderness she experienced with Luke was like no other. It didn't even warrant comparison.

She was brought back to the moment as Luke's hand on her thigh began to slowly move upward, grazing her backside and pulling her hips into his. She moaned at the feeling of his erection, snug in his jeans aching to be released. Knowing he wanted her like this, the way she always wanted him, made her heart flutter.

Lorelai rolled onto her back, pulling Luke along with her, and he settled half on top of her. He pushed his thigh between her legs and she kissed him deeply as she ground down against the solid mass of muscle, feeling the slightest bit of relief.

Luke let a hand go back to her thigh, slowly stroking upward until he was palming her breast over her shirt. Lorelai ground against him again, moaning against the torrent of kisses that kept coming. She almost whined when his lips left hers, but acquiesced when he moved lower, kissing her neck and the expanse of her chest that was exposed by the deep vee of her top.

Lorelai's breathing picked up as Luke pulled her shirt and bra down, exposing one breast to the warm air of the room, followed quickly by his mouth teasing and licking at her nipple. She put a hand on the back of his head to hold him against her and closed her eyes to sink into the feeling.

After laving her breast with attention, Luke pulled away and began unbuttoning his flannel, pulling both of his shirts off. Lorelai took the hint and sat up to do the same with her shirt and bra. Luke pushed her back down once they were gone and reclaimed her lips in a heated kiss, coming to rest between her legs.

Luke moved downward then, laving more attention on her breasts, giving them both equal time. Lorelai's fingers ran through his hair, letting the strands slip between them as he continued on, massaging each nipple with his tongue and licking and sucking them into hard beads.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Luke moved lower. He unbuttoned Lorelai's pants and slipped his fingers under the elastic of her underwear to pull the rest of her clothes off. Lorelai raised her hips to allow him to finish undressing her, and watched him as he took in the length of her body as the firelight flickered over her exposed skin.

"You're beautiful," he said in a husky tone. Lorelai's breathing picked up as he continued to appraise her. She felt beautiful when he looked at her like that – like she was the only other person in the world. Only he could make her feel so wanted and desirable.

Luke pushed Lorelai's legs open and settled down in between them, leaning in for a taste. Lorelai gasped at the first flick of his tongue against her overheated core. The build up had left her feeling like she was on a razor's edge, and she knew it wouldn't take much work with his skilled mouth to throw her over the edge.

Using two fingers to part her, Luke leaned in and flicked his tongue against her swollen clit. Lorelai's hips jerked against her will and a sexy grunt fell from her mouth at the sudden intrusion. Luke smiled and leaned in closer, laying his tongue flat against her to lave her with attention, offering the pressure Lorelai desperately craved.

She was right in thinking that it wouldn't take long for him to build her up like this. After only a few minutes of Luke's expert attention to her sex, she felt her first orgasm beginning to build. Luke continued to work as her hips moved frantically and her hands tangled in his hair, holding him to her and shamelessly grinding against his mouth. He gripped her by the thighs to push his tongue even harder against her, and with that simple movement, Lorelai flew over the edge with a series of short, loud cries into the silence of the room.

Luke continued to work her clit gently as she went through it, and it just went on and on. Lorelai's eyes clamped shut and her abs clenched and unclenched as she writhed against Luke's tongue as wave after wave of pleasure hit her.

Luke grinned against her sex as she moved wantonly against him, her back arching up off the blanket, her hands flying to her breasts to squeeze her nipples and draw more and more pleasure from the moment. He followed her as she pushed away, keeping pressure on her clit to prolong her climax even longer. He continued to lick and suck until every ounce of her release was through and she was a shaking, shivering mess beneath him.

"Oh my god," Lorelai said in a breath, her chest heaving with exertion. Luke pulled away and watched his fiancée attempt to regain her bearings, her body still moving lithely against the blanket in a way that was so intimate that he wasn't sure he had ever seen anything so sexy. He licked his lips and tasted her on him, as his erection strained painfully against the zipper of his jeans.

When Lorelai's eyes finally opened again, she saw Luke sitting up on his knees between her legs, watching her with an intensity that made her flush, not with embarrassment but with pure animalistic need.

"Lose the pants," she demanded, still working to catch her breath. Luke laughed gently and stood up to rid himself of the offending material. Lorelai grinned as his erection was revealed, long, thick and so hard for her.

With effort, she pushed herself up and got to her knees before him. Luke watched her from above as she took hold of him and pumped him a few times before putting her mouth over his tip. She kept her eyes trained on his as she began to suck on the head of his penis, swirling her tongue around it and moving it in and out of her mouth slowly and sensually. Luke's eyes were heavy, but he dared not close them and miss a moment of the sight that fantasies were made of.

Luke allowed a hand to rest gently on the side of her head, her silky hair soft against his calloused fingers. He didn't apply pressure or do anything to affect her work, just simply held her as she tended to him, alternating between pumping him with her hand and licking and sucking with her mouth.

Luke fought to keep his hips from moving as she went, but the build up was becoming too much for him. After several moments, he finally stepped back, dropping his erection from her mouth. Before Lorelai could ask why, he got down to his knees in front of her, and pulled her to him for a crushing kiss.

Lorelai opened her mouth to him, tasting herself on his lips. She was dripping wet from the orgasm he had given her just moments before, and all she wanted was for him to fill her again and again.

Lorelai laid down on her side, facing the fireplace, and Luke slid in behind her. She moved her top leg forward, giving Luke space to slide into her heat, groaning at the wetness and the incredible tightness this position allowed.

With a hand on her hip, Luke began to slide in and out of her slowly and with ease. He leaned down and kissed and nipped at her shoulder as he moved inside of her. They both felt the heat of the fire, and with the intensity of their lovemaking, sweat began to bead on their skin.

Luke let his hand slide up from Lorelai's hip, taking a handful of her breast as he continued to move in and out of her. Lorelai pushed her hips back to meet his thrusts as they began to speed up.

Needing more, Luke pushed Lorelai forward and helped her up onto her hands and knees as he got into position behind her. He encouraged her to squeeze her thighs shut as he straddled her legs and re-entered her, groaning as she milked him. The feeling of sliding in and out her tightness left Luke panting as his speed intensified. He grabbed her hips and pulled her back to meet each thrust, both of them crying out into the night as he filled her to the hilt over and over again.

Lorelai grasped the soft fabric of the blanket in giant handfuls she felt her orgasm build again. Between Luke pumping in and out of her and her tight thighs creating incredible friction for her clit, her last coherent thought was that this one would be even bigger than her first.

Luke must have felt her begin to tense and squeeze him even more, because he sped up even more as Lorelai crested the wave and exploded, his name leaving her lips over and over, her hips pushing back into him hard as she rode out her climax.

The sound of Lorelai's second orgasm hit Luke hard as he lost his battled to contain his own. He bucked into her tightness as he went, feeling like he was being sucked dry each time he withdrew from her heat. He collapsed forward when they were both finished, his hands on the floor on either side of Lorelai, his forehead against her back as he breathed heavily against her slick skin. They were both overheated and sweating from the fire, but neither could find it within themselves to care or retreat.

The pair eventually laid back down on the blanket with their heads on the cushions, facing each other. Luke pulled Lorelai close and they watched each other in silence as the fire began to wane behind them. They kissed lazily as they let the night take them. Outside the world kept turning, but right here in Lorelai's living room, nothing else mattered but stolen kisses in fading firelight on a night that was definitely not their anniversary.


	22. The Goods

**The Goods**

**Inspired by Episode 6.03: The Ungraduate**

**_LUKE:_ ** _So four guys saw you naked?  
 **LORELAI:** Well if you don't count Teddy, then yes!  
 **LUKE:** What in the hell were those guys doing up there in the first place?  
 **LORELAI:** T.J. accidentally sent them up.  
 **LUKE:** I'm gonna kill him.  
 **LORELAI:** Luke, it was no big deal. Please! We all laughed about it. Look, from now on, I'm showering at Babette's, so show's over. No one sees the goods but you. OK?_

**Description: Luke gets possessive. Lorelai has no complaints.**

* * *

Lorelai noticed the change in Luke's demeanor the moment she told him that some of Tom's crew working on the bedroom renovation had seen her naked. It was clear that he was already feeling unsure about the whole situation, with her feeding the guys and keeping T.J. on as a pretend contractor; this was just another item to add to the list of reasons Luke was becoming irritated with the whole project.

Before the renovation started, Luke had tried to convince her to stay at his place for the duration. She had resisted, not because she didn't revel the thought of spending every night with him – they were renovating her house for the two of them to live in, after all – but because she needed to be in her space. Her house was her safe place, where she could truly relax and feel at ease. Even with the chaos of the renovation, she wasn't prepared to leave for weeks on end.

Luke had been understanding at the time, but the shower incident seemed to put him on edge. She got it; she really did. The thought of a bunch of women seeing Luke in his altogether didn’t exactly fill her with joy, and barring him suddenly becoming a nudist, the chances of that ever happening were slim at best.

Given how the day started, when Luke came home to find her entertaining the guys with Paul Anka's new tricks, over yet another pizza dinner, she could see his patience beginning to wear thin. He made a comment about her putting on a USO show for the crew, and brought up the shower incident again, showing Lorelai that he was clearly not over it.

Once T.J. began making comments about tearing Rory's bedroom to shreds, Lorelai knew it was time to get out of dodge. She and Luke were already planning to have dinner that night. Maybe she just needed to get him away from all of the chaos so she could help him see that none of this was a big deal. They were rock solid, the crew were all good guys, and the shower incident had been nothing but an innocent mistake.

Try as she might, Luke's mood during dinner didn't get a whole lot better. He was cordial, but she could see the frustration simmering under the surface. He had never been able to put on a good face when he was upset.

Once their meal came, Lorelai decided it was time to hash it out.

"You know it was an accident," she said, unprompted. Luke eyed her questioningly.

"What was an accident?"

"The shower thing. It wasn't their fault, or T.J.'s fault, or my fault. It was just an accident. It was nothing."

"I know it was nothing," he allowed. He went to take a bite of his dinner, before thinking again and setting his fork down. "I just don't like this."

"I know you don't."

"Do you, Lorelai?" he asked. "It's not just the guys seeing you naked, which, yes, was not great. But the pizza, and the entertainment. They're not there to be your friends, you know. They're there to do a job. One they're being paid very well to do, by the way."

"I know that," she came back. "Luke, I get that you're upset, but I can't change the way I am. I would feel weird having all those people in my house if I didn't know them or at least try to befriend them." Luke sighed, but seemed to accept this.

"You really are a special kind of crazy, you know that?" he teased lightly.

"I thought you liked that about me."

"Yeah," he sighed. He caught her eye with an appeasing grin, "I guess that makes me crazy too." Lorelai smiled at that.

"Come on in, the water's great," she teased. Luke rolled his eyes at her good naturedly, and Lorelai could feel some of the tension fall away. It wasn't perfect, but at least this wouldn't continue to hover over them all night.

After dinner and a movie, Lorelai decided it would be a good night to spend at Luke's place, far away from the scene of the crime. She called and asked Babette to take Paul Anka so she and Luke could enjoy their night without any distractions.

When they returned to the diner, it was long closed. Luke let her in and locked the door behind them as she led the way upstairs.

"You want a beer?" Lorelai asked, heading for the fridge.

"I'm good," Luke said, hanging back, watching Lorelai move through his place. It took her a moment to realize he hadn't moved from his spot by the door. When she did, she set her beer on the kitchen table and watched him across the expanse.

"What's wrong?" she questioned.

"Nothin'." He stayed rooted in his spot and continued to watch her.

"Would you stop staring at me? You're making me nervous," she joked with an uncomfortable laugh. She let the grin fall from her lips as she took him in. He seemed almost imposing, standing stock still by the door in the dimly lit space.

They watched each other for a long minute, tension heavy between them. Lorelai swallowed hard, feeling a jumble of nerves and anticipation in her gut. Something about Luke's appraising eyes made her feel bare in front of him, even under layers of clothes. It was almost intimidating, how he could make her feel this way without saying a word or moving a muscle.

Finally, Luke broke the silence.

"Come over here." It wasn't a request, Lorelai noted. She found her feet propelling her forward before she made the conscious decision to go to him.

When she reached him by the door, he slipped her jacket off her shoulders and tossed it carelessly to the side. Then, in one smooth movement, he pulled both of his shirts off, baring his broad chest. Though a tall man, Luke only had Lorelai by a few inches; but without the cover of his ever-present flannel, he seemed so much bigger to her. Maybe it was just tricks of the light that flickered off his skin, or how his shoulders seemed to go on forever, or the way his biceps seemed tense and ready for action.

"Luke," Lorelai said in a breath. She wasn't sure what to say, or if she wanted to say anything. Part of her was just curious to see how this was going to play out.

Wordlessly, he crashed his lips into hers in a hard, punishing kiss. Before she knew it, his tongue was in her mouth and her body was flush with his. She fought to catch up, opening herself to him, letting him take control.

He held her head in his hands as he explored her mouth without his typical gentle curiosity. Lorelai could feel the effects as she tingled with arousal. She grabbed his hips and pulled them against hers, finding him rock hard in his jeans.

Lorelai didn't even realize they were moving until her back was against the door, the window pane rattling as she made contact. Luke's hands left her face and moved to roughly palm her breasts. He dragged his mouth from hers and moved to her neck where he worked to brand her with hard kisses. Lorelai moaned at the sensation, clawing at the back of his head, unable to do anything else.

Without warning, Luke dropped to his knees. He made quick work of Lorelai's jeans, pulling them off along with her underwear. Her shoes were lost along with the bottom half of her wardrobe, leaving her naked from the waist down.

Luke brought her right leg over his left shoulder and he leaned in, breathing her scent in deeply. Lorelai watched him with heavy eyes as he took a long, hard lick across the length of her slit, before diving in deeply, his tongue penetrating her, followed by three fingers.

Lorelai felt unsteady as he went. She braced herself with a hand on the doorknob and a hand on his head, pushing him in deeper, tangling her fingers in his hair. She ground down into him as he began to assault her clit with his lips, tongue and teeth, his fingers setting a punishing pace inside of her.

She felt herself coming up quickly as he worked her over. The whole scene was giving her a heady feeling, like she wasn't fully in control. It made her knees weak.

She began to moan louder, Luke's name falling from her lips as she continued to grind against his mouth, seeking her release.

And then, just as suddenly as he started, Luke stopped. He pulled away completely, depriving her of his touch. She cried out at the lack of contact, having been so close to her release.

She looked up at Luke and saw his eyes taking in her dishevelled form, her shirt askew, her thighs glistening with his saliva mixed with her own wetness.

"Take the rest of your clothes off and get in bed," Luke ordered, his voice low and gritty and thick with his own arousal. He watched Lorelai closely as she pulled her shirt over her head and unclasped her bra, letting it fall to the floor. She slipped past him and headed for the bedroom, settling into the middle of the bed with her head on the pillows.

Luke followed her over, and stood at the end of the bed. Lorelai felt a surge of arousal as he raked his eyes over her body, naked, wet and ready for him.

She watched him unbuckle his belt, not slowly but not hurriedly either, and then the button and fly of his pants. She swallowed another moan as he dropped it all to the floor along with his boxers and kicked it all away with his shoes, his erection springing free from its confines. He gripped his shaft in his right hand and began to pump it, all the while keeping his eyes glued to Lorelai's.

Just when Lorelai thought he might never move from that spot, he reached toward her and grabbed her by the calves, yanking her down to the bottom of the bed in one swift move. He brought her to the end, pushed her knees apart, and entered her fully in one smooth stroke. Lorelai cried out at the sensation of being suddenly filled.

Luke leaned over her, bracing himself on his hands on either side of her, and took one quick thrust, bottoming out.

"Ung, Luke," Lorelai grunted. He did it again, and then twice more, moving with purpose. Finally, he filled her to the hilt and stopped altogether. Lorelai moved wantonly against him, but he wouldn't budge, staying fully sheathed within her as she attempted to buck against him.

"Luke, please," she begged.

"Please what?" he asked. "What do you want, Lorelai?" She tried to move again, but he was a statue.

"Please," she said again. She reached down to rub her own clit, but Luke grabbed her wrist and pinned it against the mattress, then did the same with the other.

"You have to say it," he urged. She tried to move again in vain. Finally the words sprung from her lips.

"Fuck me, Luke," she ground out. She bucked against him, feeling the tip of him hard against her cervix. "Please, please fuck me."

With his hands still around her wrists, Luke began to move. He didn't take it slow or easy, instead he moved hard and fast, the only sounds in the room were their grunts and the slapping as their bodies connected over and over again. Lorelai battled against her restraints, wanting to touch him, to touch herself, but she couldn't. The feeling of being totally at his mercy sent shockwaves of pleasure through her body.

Luke continued to fuck her with abandon, using his grip on her wrists as leverage for longer and deeper strokes. Lorelai bucked up against his as best she could, but eventually just found herself laying prone, allowing him to take full control and use her body as he pleased.

She soon felt that familiar tension as her orgasm began to build again – the one Luke had deprived her of moments earlier by the door. She cried out his name as he continued to punish her body with relentless thrusts. He must have felt her squeezing him tightly because he lost his rhythm ever-so-slightly as she went over the top.

He continued on as Lorelai came down. She watched him intently as he did so, his chest and forehead glistening with sweat and strain, veins popping from his biceps as he used his superior strength to keep her immobile, his brow creased with concentration and determination, his eyes clouded over with lust, and something else Lorelai couldn't identify.

She felt like jelly when Luke finally came with a deep, guttural moan, and her name falling from his lips. The sound alone was nearly enough to make her come again.

Luke let his spent member slip out of her, and he dropped to his knees on the floor, his head resting against one of Lorelai's inner thighs, her centre still spread open for him as his seed began to trickle out and down the edge of his bedsheets.

She could feel his hot breath against her as he regained his bearings, reawakening her spent core in a way that was almost painful.

Luke got back to his feet after a long moment. He pushed her legs closed, and crawled up over her on the bed, straddling her. Lorelai was unsure of he was doing, but was surprised when his next move was to kiss her tenderly on the lips, and then feather kisses along her jaw, and then finally her neck before pulling away completely and helping her up to the top of the bed. He situated the sheets over them and pulled her into his chest.

She let her hand rest over his heart. She could feel it beating quickly from the exertion. It was almost surreal, seeing Luke like that, letting him take her with such force. It wasn't that they hadn't enjoyed more animated sex before, even a little rough at times. But this was different. He had seemed singularly intent on having her just the way he wanted her.

It turned her on just thinking about it.

"Hey, Luke?" she asked after a while, her voice hoarse from the screams he had elicited from her.

"Yeah?"

"Not that I'm complaining, but what brought that on?" She heard him sigh, but didn't push as he took a moment to compose a response.

"I just," he started, and then stopped again. He picked it up a moment later. "I just wanted you to know that you're mine," he finally said. Lorelai looked up at him with amusement.

"You Tarzan, me Jane?" she asked. He huffed a laugh at that.

"Maybe not quite so primal," he said.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Tex, but that was pretty primal."

"Yeah, maybe. Sorry." She was confounded by the word, unable to make heads or tails of what he could possibly be apologizing for. He reached for her wrist and ran a delicate finger over the redness left behind by his grip. "Did I hurt you?" he asked, concern evident. She shook her head.

"No. Were you trying to?"

"Never," he said firmly. She offered a small smile and tilted her chin up, kissing him softly.

"I mean, I might have trouble walking tomorrow," she allowed. He huffed a small laugh at that and kissed her forehead.

"Then my work here is done," he joked gently. She shook her head and kissed his chest.

"Your work here is _never_ done."


	23. Christening the Kitchen

**Christening the Kitchen**

**Inspired by Episode 5.04 – Tippecanoe and Taylor Too**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Luke is not running around naked in your kitchen. He is sitting at the table, and, yes, he is naked._

**Description: A pent up Luke takes Lorelai in the kitchen.**

* * *

"Morning!" Lorelai greeted cheerfully as she entered the diner. Luke looked up from his place behind the counter and smiled.

"Morning," he returned. He leaned over the counter for a kiss. "Coffee?"

"Please."

As Lorelai took a seat on her customary stool, Luke grabbed the pot from behind him and filled up a mug for her. Once he replaced the pot, he finally gave her a once-over. She was wearing a cobalt blue sleeveless dress with a deep vee and a flippy skirt that landed a few inches above the knee.

"You look nice," he told her, appreciating the way the outfit hugged her curves. "New dress?"

"Old, actually," Lorelai clarified, taking a sip of her coffee. "Had to dig this baby out from one of the boxes of old clothes we packed up when we cleaned out my closet."

"Why?" Luke asked with a small chuckle.

"Well, you know I'm on day fourteen," she began. Luke nodded his understanding. Michel was off on vacation, the weekend manager was out of town for a funeral and Tobin was unable to work the day shift, leaving Lorelai with two straight weeks with no backup and a fully-booked inn. She had been working 10-12 hour days for the duration.

"Right," Luke confirmed.

"I've just been so busy, I haven't had time to do laundry. All of my favourite clothes are dirty. All of my boring clothes are dirty. I was running out of options."

"Ah," Luke said in acknowledgement.

"It's not so bad, I mean, you know I have more clothes than Cher Horowitz."

"Oh, I know."

"But even my wardrobe has its limitations, hence this dress, which I'm pretty sure I haven't worn since Rory was six."

"You know I would have done a load of laundry for you," Luke offered.

"I wouldn't ask you to do that, Luke. You're not my mom. Or her maid." Luke offered a half grin. "Besides, this is the last day of my two-weeker, so I'll be able to do some laundry tomorrow." She took another giant gulp of her coffee. "The real problem is that I ran out of my cute underwear about five days ago, and I ran out of my backup underwear two days ago."

"So that leaves you with what, granny panties?" Luke teased quietly, so as not to be heard by the other patrons.

"I don't _have_ granny panties, thank you very much," she shot back.

"So you're wearing..." he prompted. Lorelai gave him an amused look.

"Don't think about it too hard, you'll pop a blood vessel." Luke finally put it together.

"Lorelai!" he exclaimed upon realization.

Lorelai tipped her coffee cup to finish off the elixir while Luke looked at her, dumbfounded. Sliding off the stool, she leaned forward over the counter and lowered her voice to say, "Better hope I don't catch an updraft."

She left him with a wink and sexy grin, grabbing her purse off the counter and heading for the door. Her skirt flipped flirtatiously around her thighs as she went, a sight he couldn't tear his eyes away from if he wanted to.

Luke continued to stare after her long after she was gone.

Short dress, no underwear. It was only 8 a.m. and he had at least 10 hours to go before he could be alone with her. Somehow, he already knew those hours would be agonizing.

**XXXX**

It was 6:30 when Luke made his way up the front steps to the Gilmore house. Lorelai's Jeep was in the driveway, so he knew she was home. He felt his cock twitch at the knowledge that his gorgeous fiancée was just behind those doors, waiting for him to arrive.

For the past two weeks Lorelai had been working so much that she was coming home dead tired and unmotivated to do anything else, knowing her long stretch of work without a break was still ongoing. It didn’t help that she was still not on speaking terms with Rory, and her house was in chaos as construction on the master suite seemed to go on forever.

Luke had been understanding and had gone out of his way to make her time at home as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Each night he made sure she ate well and fell into bed with her early, now situated in the living room, putting up no complaints as she rolled over and quickly fell asleep.

It didn't really bother him, going a few weeks without their usual physical contact. In fact, he hadn't even really given it that much thought until she showed up at his diner that morning dressed like a wet dream, and shared with him the intimate knowledge that there were no barriers under that little dress of hers.

That knowledge had driven him to distraction, and the distraction had lasted all day long. Lorelai had popped into the diner later that afternoon for a pick-me-up, and it had taken every ounce of his strength to keep from throwing her over his shoulder fireman-style and taking her up to his apartment to ravage her.

So now that he was home, and she was home, and she had nowhere to be and nothing to do the next day, he knew he needed to do something about the traitor in his pants that had been trying to rev to life all damn day. He felt like a teenager springing hard-ons in class.

It was time to take care of business.

Luke entered the house and kicked off his shoes before heading directly for the kitchen. If he had any remaining self-control, it was quickly swept away at the sight that greeted him; Lorelai was reaching to grab the cereal from the top shelf, which drew her dress up tantalizingly high on her bare thighs. She offered him a 'hello' when he came in, but continued her search for the right box.

Luke sidled up behind Lorelai, his hands going to her hips and pulling her ass back into his groin. He knew she could feel the beginnings of his erection, as he did nothing to hide it.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked, amusement clear in her voice.

"Two weeks, Lorelai," he said. He felt her up and down with his hands before returning to grasp her hips. "For two weeks I have come over, I have slept beside you, I have kept my hands to myself."

"You’ve been very well behaved," Lorelai said in a breath, as his hands roamed upward again.

"I mean, I'm not 19. I can go two weeks without sex. Hell, I've gone two years without sex and I did just fine," he clarified. He tweaked her nipples through the material of her dress and bra. "But then you came into my diner this morning, wearing this dress and no panties, looking stupidly hot, and something in me snapped." His hands came back down, going lower this time. He bunched the material of her skirt in his hands and pulled it up, exposing her backside to him. Lorelai moaned as he took each cheek in handfuls, grabbing them tightly and then rubbing away the sting.

"Snapped?" Lorelai managed to groan out. He leaned over her, bringing his lips to her ear.

"Do you know how hard it was for me to go all day without touching you?" She shivered at his breath on her ear and pushed back into his hands.

"Tell me," she whispered back. He gripped her hips and pulled her hard against his erection, now straining in his jeans.

"Do you want me to tell you, or to show you?" he asked. He snagged an earlobe between his teeth, biting down just hard enough to make her moan his name.

"Both," she said, feeling impossibly turned on at his words.

"Fuck, Lorelai," he ground out. "I wanted to bend you over the counter and have my way with you right then and there."

"In the diner? In front of everybody?" A familiar ache was building in her core as his hands continued to work their magic all over her body. She leaned further over the counter to bring his fantasy closer to life.

"The Pope himself could have been there, and it wouldn't have stopped me." He nudged her legs apart with his foot and brought a hand between her legs from behind, cupping her sex. "I wanted this. I want this." He ran his middle finger along her slit before slipping it inside of her, finding her wet and hot for him.

"What do you want to do to me?" she asked. He slipped his finger from her heat up to her clit, and smirked to himself when she gasped at the contact. He moved the wet digit over her in circles, knowingly building her up and enjoying every second of it.

"I want you just like this: bent over, legs spread," he told her. "I want to hear you scream my name. I want to make you come."

Lorelai moaned loudly at the sensation of his fingers and the gritty tenor of his voice. He was hitting all the right notes, making her pant, making her _want_.

"Fuck me, Luke," she moaned, bucking back toward him. He pulled his hand from between her legs and went to work on his belt and pants, dropping them to the ground along with his underwear. His cock fell out of its confines, standing at attention, pointing toward Lorelai like a divining rod seeking water.

Wordlessly, he lined himself up behind her and plunged into her heat, bottoming out on the first stroke with a grunt. Lorelai moaned his name at the sudden and welcome invasion, desperate for more.

Luke reached up and grabbed the material of her plunging neckline and pulled it down over her breasts along with the cups of her bra, exposing her. His hands found her breasts and took purchase as he set up a hurried pace inside of her, desperate for release. After two long weeks, and day of pure torture, he knew it would come all too quickly.

Lorelai grasped the edge of counter and used it as leverage to push herself back into him, meeting him thrust for thrust, causing him to hit her hard each time. With his hands on her breasts, Luke pulled Lorelai up and her back flush with his chest. He wrapped an arm across her chest to hold her there as he continued to buck into her from behind, not going as deep, but maintaining the intensity.

"God you feel so good," he said into her ear, his voice low and gritty with lust. Lorelai moaned and arched her back to give him a better angle.

Suddenly, Luke stopped moving, and Lorelai whined at the loss of sensation, feeling too close to her release to have him stop or slow down. She could have cried when he slide out of her. He spun her around to face him and backed her toward the kitchen table, helping her up onto it and urging her to lay down on her back.

He looked over her then, her dress pulled away from her breasts, the hem kissing her stomach, exposing her slick sex. Her legs were spread, waiting for him to come between them and fill her again. It was a sight he wouldn't soon forget.

Luke pulled his shirts off, and then kicked his pants and underwear away so he was naked before her – quite an impressive vision himself. Finally, he moved back between her legs, pulled her centre in line with him, and plunged back in.

He started slower this time, his eyes raking over her body, taking in the way her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, and her hair splayed over the table masking it in a deep chestnut. Her eyes were on him, bluer than blue and darkened with insatiable desire.

He looked down at where they were joined, his own arousal soaked with hers as he pushed in and pulled out. He didn't often get the chance to see their coupling so clearly, but here in the harsh kitchen light, he could see everything. It was sexier than anything his imagination could have conjured.

"Luke," Lorelai said in a breath. "Harder. Faster."

He took her direction and sped up his movements. Soon he had regained his previous speed, grabbing her hips and impaling her on his hardness over and over again. Lorelai's eyes shut tightly as she enjoyed the feeling of being filled by him. Luke licked his thumb to make it slick and brought it to her clit, rubbing it in time with his thrusts, knowing just how effective the simple action would be in bringing her to the breaking point.

It didn't take long for Lorelai to feel the heat between them building into something more. Her eyes popped open and she watched him watch her come apart. It was erotic and sexy and primal, and she couldn't stop his name from spilling out of her as she came hard on his cock.

Watching her come apart was enough to push Luke over the edge. He had been teetering ever since she left the diner that morning, knowing what was, or wasn't, under her dress. He came forcefully, gripping her hips in a vicelike hold as he emptied himself inside of her before gradually slowing and eventually allowing his spent member to drop out of her.

Lorelai laid still for a long moment, and Luke stayed between her legs, leaning with his hands on either side of her as they both caught their breath.

"I just wanted some cereal," Lorelai eventually said. Luke laughed heartily at this, pulling back and reaching a hand out to help her up, which she gratefully accepted. Once her feet were firmly on the floor, Luke went about righting her clothes, pulling her bra and dress back over her breasts, and smoothing the skirt back over her backside, before dressing himself. She smiled at the sweetness of his actions, and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. His went around her waist and he pulled her overheated body flush against his.

"I didn't get a kiss hello," she told him. Luke looked down, sheepishly.

"Sorry."

"Luke," she said, pulling his gaze back up to hers. "I’ll take one now." He obliged, leaning in and capturing her lips in a soft, slow kiss – a far cry from the frenzy of action they had just enjoyed so thoroughly.

When he finally pulled away, he looked down at her, the urgency and need in his eyes replaced by kindness and adoration – a look she was familiar with. It was the look that made her fall in love with him.

"How about instead of cereal, you go take a bath, and I'll make you some dinner?" he suggested. She smiled at his sweetness.

"Tater tots?" she asked.

"How about real potatoes, not that processed crap." She made a face. "Tater tots it is," he allowed. She smiled widely and leaned in to kiss him again.

"Thank you," she said, sincerely. He let his arms fall away from her and ushered her out of the kitchen.

"Go have your bath, put on some comfortable pjs, and come back down for dinner," he instructed. Lorelai obeyed and headed for the stairs. She was halfway up when he called after her, "And don't get out until you're good and pruned. I like my women waterlogged!"

He heard Lorelai laugh brightly as she made her way upstairs. He smiled to himself before focusing on the task at hand: trying to decide what wine paired best with tater tots.


	24. Tell Me You Want Me

**Tell Me You Want Me**

**Episode 6.09 - The Prodigal Daughter Returns**

**_LUKE:_ ** _No secrets?  
 **LORELAI:** Cross my heart and hope to die.  
 **LUKE:** Oh, I hate that saying.  
 **LORELAI:** No secrets._

**Description:** **With anger boiling beneath the surface, Lorelai and Luke realize their fight is not quite over.**

* * *

Lorelai sat on Luke's lap kissing him as they both attempted to shake off the remnants of their fight. It was a doozy, and she still wasn't entirely sure why he had reacted so harshly to Christopher's call, or what, exactly, she was being blamed for.

She could tell that Luke felt off too. There was more to be said. They couldn't just offer each other vague platitudes like "no secrets" and pretend everything was resolved.

She sighed into the kiss and pulled back. He didn't meet her eye, instead looking down to his half-empty bottle of beer.

"We're not done, are we?" Lorelai ventured.

Luke exhaled sharply. "I'm just frustrated."

"With me?"

"No, not with you."

"Really?"

"Really," he assured her. He swigged his beer again, then continued. "I just hate feeling like I don't have control over my own life."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just... Christopher's never gonna go away. And you and Rory are fighting, and I can't help. We're supposed to be planning a wedding – we're not. And I'm just sitting here waiting for things to be different, and there's not a damn thing I can do to make it happen."

"I get it," Lorelai allowed. He eyed her skeptically. "Really, Luke. I do. But that's kind of the deal you make in a relationship. You relinquish some of that control because – hopefully – what you get is better than what you had."

"It is," he said firmly. She offered a small smile.

"For me, too," she agreed.

"I still don't like it."

"Not a big fan of it myself," she agreed. Luke sighed. He was still visibly tense.

"Look, I'm sorry, Lorelai. I'm probably not very good company tonight. Can we try again tomorrow?"

She shook her head. "No."

His brow furrowed. "What?"

"I said no." She got up from his lap and looked down at him. "Luke, we're engaged. Your bad mood is my bad mood. Your frustration is my frustration. I meant what I said – you won't be able to run off like this when we're married. I think we need to start dealing with these things together, now."

"Well, you can hang out, I guess. But I'm probably not gonna be much fun to be around," he warned.

"That doesn't work for me," she pushed. Luke rolled his eyes.

"Then I don't know what you want from me."

"I want to work this out," she said.

"You want to fight," he corrected her. He waited for her to respond. When she didn't, he got to his feet, emptied what was left in his beer bottle and went to drop it on the kitchen counter, putting a little space between them. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the sink while Lorelai continued to stand apart from him in the living room.

"I'm frustrated," Lorelai finally spoke up. "I'm frustrated, and don't know what to say to make you _less_ frustrated. And I'm mad about tonight too, you know."

"You are?" Luke asked.

"Of course I am!" she exclaimed. "Luke, you flipped out for no reason tonight, and you still seem to think it's my fault that Christopher called me."

"I don't think it's your fault," Luke interjected.

"But you do. You're holding me responsible for his actions. That's not fair."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Lorelai. The guy's a jerk and you seem to have unlimited chances for him. After everything that happened last year, can you blame me for thinking he was back in your life?"

"Yes!"

"How? He called and you rushed to turn off the machine before I could hear what he had to say," he argued.

"I told you, it was a reflex. I didn't want you to be upset."

"So you were going to hide it from me," he surmised.

"No, I was going to find out what he wanted, and tell you." Luke huffed. "What? You don't believe me?"

"Nothing. It was nothing."

"God, Luke, even when we're trying to fight it out you can just be honest with me," Lorelai spit back. "Why don't you trust me?"

"I do trust you; I don't trust him. Chris isn't the kid who knocked you up anymore, Lorelai. He's a grown man who tried to break us up before, and will again if you give him another chance."

"You don't know him like I do," she argued.

"No, I know exactly who he is," Luke countered. "You have this image of him in your head that doesn't fit with reality. You make excuses for him: he was drunk, he was sad, his father died, his business failed, his wife left him. Who cares? Why is any of that your problem?"

"Because he's a friend!"

"He's more than that and you know it!"

"He has been, yes. He has been more than that. But not since you, Luke. You’ve got to give me more credit here."

"I'm not accusing you of anything, I'm just saying," he backtracked.

"You're 'just saying' that I'm too naive to have a relationship with my kid's father."

"Oh, come on."

"Well then, what? What else could you possibly mean by this?"

Luke took a deep breath and let it out. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"No, this was necessary," she countered. "We can't go into our marriage with this stuff hanging over us. If you feel that way, I need to know now."

Lorelai took a few steps toward him into the kitchen, closing the distance he had created. When she approached him, his whole body seemed to radiate tension that he had been holding onto for too long. Lorelai felt it too, in every fibre of her being.

"You make me crazy sometimes. You know that?" she finally said, her voice a forced neutral.

"Feeling's mutual."

Luke hit Lorelai with a stony glare that she gave right back. It was a stand-off, neither saying a word or moving a muscle. The tension was high, their words, said and unsaid, hung in the air between them.

They needed an outlet, something to take them from a boil back down to a simmer. They couldn't talk at the boiling point – there was no reason to. They wouldn't be able to hear each other.

It was anyone's guess who moved first. One minute they were apart, and then their lips were crashing together, hands groping wildly and fisting in shirts, pulling their bodies together flush and hard. Luke gave up nothing as Lorelai clawed at him, his arms were steel girders around her as her shirt balled in his fists. Lorelai's hands were trapped between them, grasping his flannel by the handful and using it to keep him locked in place.

Their kisses were too hard, but neither backed down. As one kiss broke it rolled into the next, mouths open, tongues probing wildly but not really tasting or savouring.

Luke stepped forward and it knocked Lorelai off her balance, but he kept moving. She stumbled backward with his arms keeping her upright until her back made contact with the door, the window pane shaking in its casing behind her.

Lorelai pushed back into him once she was steady. Her hands moved to his neck and held him to her as she kissed him with all she had, the depth of her frustration evident with every nip she took at his bottom lip, every too-deep dive of her tongue. Her nails dug into his skin as she trapped him there.

Luke, meanwhile, lowered his arms from her back and grabbed her ass in two handfuls. He pulled her lower body into his, creating a connection too tight for anything to pass through. Lorelai could feel that he was hard, and she moaned into the kiss despite herself. She didn't want to give him the upper hand.

The pair stayed against the door for minutes, mouths kissing, hands groping, fingers tangling and yanking, bodies bashing the aged wood over and over again as they heated up.

Luke growled at the feeling of Lorelai's nails scraping the sensitive skin of his neck, and grabbed both of her hands. He held them up against the glass, fingers tightly laced together as he kept her at bay. He backed off enough that he could see her eyes, and found her watching him with a fire that matched the one in his belly, daring him to act.

"You're infuriating," he ground out, pushing his body back into hers. She bowed her hips out to increase their connection, and he moaned at the feeling of her teasing his erection, which was becoming painful in the confines of his jeans.

"You gonna do something about this, or am I?" she asked. His eyes narrowed as a grin found its way to her lips. It drove him nuts that she seemed to be enjoying this.

He pushed his hips back into hers, hitting as if he was penetrating.

"You want it?" he asked. She gave him nothing. He shook his head. "You're gonna have to do better than that."

Luke backed off before she had a chance to answer. Lorelai nearly gaped at him, the brazen invitation followed by the suddenly lack of contact was doing deeply unfair things to her traitorous core.

Look stood about five feet away at this point, just watching her, waiting for her to make a move. She contemplated what came next for a few seconds, tried to decide on a course of action. He wasn't going to get away that easy, but he also needed to know that he wasn't calling the shots here.

Decision made, Lorelai grabbed her shirt by the hem and pulled it over her head. Her bra followed quickly. Luke stood back and watched her strip, eyes raking over each newly exposed inch of skin in a way that made her feel incredibly exposed, but sent shocks of pleasure through her body. The dark shade of blue in his eyes reminded her of all those time when she had taken him past the point of pleasure, making him lose control. She wanted that now; wanted him to let go of whatever was keeping him rooted to his spot. Then, she would finally get out of him that passionate release she wanted.

Luke continued to watch as the last of Lorelai's clothes hit the floor. When she finally stood naked before him, she put her hands on her hips, not hiding a thing, and with a look, issued him a challenge.

He narrowed his eyes and looked over her body. She was glistening with sweat from the beginning of their encounter, breathing a little heavier, her chest rising and falling seductively. Her hair was tousled, her lipstick gone, cheeks red. She was – to put it delicately – sexy as fuck, and he wanted every inch of her.

Maintaining eye contact, Luke unbuttoned and shed his flannel and t-shirt, then dropped his pants. His socks and underwear went next, revealing the extent of his arousal. She took in his length, straining, desperate to be tended to, and she felt powerful. No matter how mad he got, Luke's body would always betray him. He wanted her. He needed her. She knew it.

Lorelai let Luke watch as her eyes raked over his body, all hard lines, dips and curves that made up a hard-won physique and an enviable member. He had no shame in this state, nor should he, as far as Lorelai was concerned.

She took a few steps closer until she was close enough to touch. She jutted her chin up and looked at Luke defiantly, daring him to act.

There was a growl in the back of his throat when he closed the distance. He turned Lorelai around swiftly and pulled her body back against his, his erection trapped between them. His arms came around her and he tweaked a nipple roughly with one hand while the other plunged into the curls at her apex of her thighs. He nudged her legs apart to make room and palmed her core, pulling her ass against him with the force. Lorelai moaned out loud at the intrusion and ground down against his hand, craving friction against her swollen clit.

"Tell me you want me," Luke demanded in her ear. Lorelai bit her lip, but said nothing. "Tell me you want me, or I'll stop touching you," he threatened.

Lorelai laughed at this. Actually laughed. It was wry, coarse, and full of snide amusement.

She pushed her ass back into his straining erection and shook her head.

"I think you'll touch me either way," she told him. Luke huffed a laugh in her ear, and a finger slid between her folds. She gasped as he made contact with her clit.

"How sure are you?"

She pushed back again. A moan gave him away.

"Stop touching me, then," she called his bluff. Luke tweaked her nipple again and pushed against her, while his finger slipped into her hot, wet hole. In the silence of the room, they could hear just how wet she was, and it was doing dangerous things to both of them.

Keeping his position, Luke raised his hand from Lorelai's breast until his arm came across her upper chest, trapping her upright while his finger slipped from her heat and back across her clit, dragging her moisture along with it. Lorelai dropped her head back against Luke's shoulder as he began to draw circles around her clit, making her body shake.

"Oh yes," she whispered. He sped up the pace. Her hips began to move, pushing into his finger, then back into his cock, over and over again. Luke met each movement with a thrust of his own, teasing himself into oblivion as he physically ached to be buried inside of her incredible wetness.

"Tell me you want me," he tried again, his voice strained. Lorelai shook her head.

"You tell me." Luke growled and dragged his fingers from her centre, unwrapped his arm from her chest, and stepped back, leaving her to steady herself. She turned and eyed him with barely contained lust. She nearly moaned out loud when Luke put the finger he'd used to pleasure her in his mouth, sucking her juices from the digit.

When Lorelai's knees hit the floor, it was loud enough that they could both hear the sound, and she figured she would have bruises to show for it later. At the moment, she couldn't find it within herself to care. Luke's erection was in her mouth before he had a chance to ask for it.

Lorelai took him in as far as she could on the first pass, gagging a little as he tickled the back of her throat before retreating about halfway and then hollowing out her cheeks as she sucked to the end. Luke summoned every ounce of his strength to leave his hands hanging limply at his sides.

She set up a quick pace, combining her hands with her mouth to spread pleasure to his whole member, squeezing, licking and sucking with fervor in efforts to break him. Luke moaned in earnest as she tended to his need. He ached to pull her hair at the roots, to guide her movements, but he did none of it. He wanted her to give him everything she had, simply because she wanted him.

Lorelai dropped him from her mouth and stroked him eagerly with a tight fist over the head, using the slipperiness of her saliva to lubricate him and enhance his pleasure. Luke was nearly ready to burst, but he forbade himself from giving in just yet.

While Lorelai jerked him off she lifted his erection out of the way so she would have unencumbered access to his testicles. She took one into her mouth and sucked on it, then moved to the other, alternating back and forth until Luke was nearly begging her to stop.

"Fuck, Lorelai. Enough," he moaned as he physically backed away. She got to her feet and took him in, chest heaving, member straining to contain the climax that he so desperately needed.

"Tell me you want me," Lorelai demanded. Luke shook his head, but he knew he was breaking. If he wasn't buried inside of her soon, he was going to combust.

Lorelai stepped into him and grabbed his hand, putting it back between her thighs. He willingly fingered her wetness, spreading it around and teasing her clit again. She held him by the wrist and moved against his hand as he serviced her.

"You want me," Luke said, smugly. It wasn't a question. Lorelai didn't argue.

Luke extracted his hand, she didn't let go of his wrist. He walked toward the bedroom and she went with him, unsure of who was leading whom, who was in charge. Neither particularly cared at this point, both too far gone to notice that the anger was ebbing away, replaced by a more useful emotion – desire.

When they were within spitting distance of the bed, Luke turned back to Lorelai and yanked his wrist free from her grasp. Then, without warning, he grabbed her with two hands on her waist and tossed her on the bed with ease. Lorelai landed on her back, bouncing twice against the springs of the mattress. She didn't have long to recover before Luke's was between her legs, their mouths fused yet again.

Lorelai was near the edge of the bed, and Luke had a knee under hers and a foot on the floor as he entered her roughly. She grunted as he filled her, his kisses coming hot and furious as he began to fuck her soundly, bodies slapping with each downward stroke. Luke stood upright and pushed her knees further apart, spreading her wide open for him to watch as he plunged in and out of her core.

Lorelai moaned and grasped her own hair, pulling it at the roots as Luke moved in her. She was already close after the buildup, but wasn't ready to give in. She wanted him to come first. She wanted to win. She forced herself to focus on Luke as he pounded into her from above. His whole body seemed to strain from the activity, veins appearing in his neck and chest, face flushed from exertion. There wasn't an inch of him that wasn't glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. She found herself overcome with the primal urge to lick the salt away from his skin.

As Lorelai's orgasm began to build, she willed it away, but knew if things stayed the same, she'd be flying over the edge before she had a chance to give Luke the last of her frustration. She could tell by the look on his face that he knew she was close – he knew her body and her signals like the back of his hand. This was usually a good thing in her books, but tonight she just wanted to win.

Luke barely had time to react as Lorelai rolled away and got up onto her knees, dropping him from her soaking core and leaving his erection glistening with her wetness and standing at attention, begging for release.

Lorelai joined Luke on her knees at the edge of the bed and kissed him soundly. He gave back as good as he got, tongues duelling from mouth to mouth as they battled for dominance over the kiss, and the night.

"Lay down," Lorelai instructed as she pulled away. Luke went without hesitation. He got comfortable in the middle of the bed and waited for her to join him and take them over the finish line. He no longer cared about winning or losing. He needed to come, and needed to see her come. His whole body ached for the long-delayed release.

Lorelai straddled Luke as soon as he was settled and began pumping his member in her hand.

"Jesus," he groaned.

"Tell me you want me," she said again. Luke gasped as her thumb crossed his tip.

"I want you," he said in a rush. "Fuck, I want you, Lorelai."

She smiled in victory, and placed him at her entrance.

There was no pretence of slow and steady. Once Lorelai began moving, she was aiming for the big finish. She rode him hard and fast, bouncing up and down with an athleticism few would expect from the woman who once asked why there was no competitive sitting circuit. But there was nothing lazy about the way she took Luke to the edge. With her hands on his chest, nails digging in, she fucked him with everything she had left.

Luke grasped her by the hips and helped her keep the pace, but he was falling apart quickly. He knew he could only last seconds more at this pace.

"Ung, Lorelai, god," he croaked. "I can't... I'm gonna come," he warned.

"Yes, Baby," she coaxed. She redoubled her efforts as he began to come apart beneath her. "Yes, just like that."

Luke lost all composure as his orgasm took hold, rocking his body from the inside out. He seized and shook as he filled her with his release, and she continued to ride him fervently as he went.

He was breathing so hard, he felt like he'd just run a seven-minute mile, and Lorelai was still moving on top of him. Her motion changed from vertical to horizontal, dragging her clit over his pubic bone over and over again until she, too, was losing control.

Lorelai cried out into the quiet of the night as she was overcome. Luke helped her move until she was fully spent, when finally she collapsed on top of him with rubbery limbs no good for anything else. Her head fell to his shoulder and she breathed heavily as she attempted to recover not just from her climax, but from the events of the night.

Luke wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him tightly. He dropped a kiss to the side of her head.

When Lorelai was finally able to move, she dropped to his side, her head resting on his open arm. With a hand under her chin, Luke brought her gaze to his.

"I love you," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

Lorelai offered a sad smile. "I'm sorry too."

Luke shook his head. "Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I shouldn't have turned off the machine," she insisted. "And you're right. In the past I have had a bit of a blind spot when it comes to _he who must not be named_. But I swear to you, Luke, that's over. It was over last year at the vow renewal."

"Listen," Luke said. He turned onto his side so he was facing her directly. "I trust you; we wouldn't be here if I didn't. Call him back and find out what he wanted. Keep me in the loop. Just try to keep him away from me, okay?"

"I can do that," she told him. Luke offered a tentative smile.

"We okay?"

"We're good," she confirmed. Luke released a breath.

"Good, because I'm pretty sure I can't go another round like that." He looked down at his flaccid member, then back up to her. "He's a goner."

Lorelai laughed heartily and the sound was music to Luke's ears. He joined in, though his whole body begged him to do less, muscles aching from the intensity of the night's activities.

"Hey," Lorelai said, capturing Luke's attention once they settled down. He met her gaze with a soft one of his own. "I love you too, you know?" she said. He nodded.

"I know."

She smiled. "Good. Just making sure."


	25. Fight Back

**Fight Back**

**Inspired by Episode 6:12 – Just like Gwen and Gavin**

_Lorelai offers to postpone the wedding:_

**_LUKE:_ ** _Well, that'll help. Yeah, that'll really help. That'll give me time to resolve this other thing, and everything will be better later on._

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Well...great, then it's a done deal. I think it might be a health-code violation, kissing this close to the cotton candy booth._

**_LUKE:_ ** _Meet me back at my place later?_

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Yeah, see you there._

**Description: Lorelai allows herself to be angry about Luke's big secret.**

* * *

After Luke left the winter carnival, Lorelai returned to her booth, but her heart wasn't in it. It had been an awful day – truly, one for the books. She could deal with the Luke having a kid he didn’t know about, and even postponing the wedding if that's what he needed to feel ready. But she couldn't get past the lie. Two months. For two whole months he had kept this monumental thing from her, and knowing that he was capable of doing so shook her to her core.

She deserved better than to be an afterthought in Luke's life. Even when she and Rory were on the outs, she still leaned on him. She didn't keep things from him. She let him be there for her, and to know that he didn't trust her enough to do the same didn't just make her sad, it made her angry.

Luke seemed acceptably ashamed of his behaviour over the past two months, but to Lorelai, he didn't seem to really understand how she was feeling, and if he did, he definitely didn't care enough.

Kissing her by the cotton candy booth? Asking her to meet him back at his place? Did he think they were just going to pick up and move on like nothing had happened?

She bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming into the night. Here she was, surrounded by jubilation; people were coming to get their fortune told by her dog, of all things, and she couldn't express any of the feelings going on inside of her. It was all just boiling there under the surface as she plastered on a fake smile and spun the wheel.

She stuck around for a while longer. She didn't know what she was going to say to Luke when she got to his place later that night. There were so many words that needed to be spoken, and she was usually pretty good at stringing them together, but words failed her at this moment. How do you tell the person who is supposed to love you unconditionally that they had disappointed you beyond measure?

She sighed and crossed her arms angrily over her chest.

"Mom," Rory said, drawing Lorelai from her inner monologue.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you go home. I can stay here with Paul Anka until we're done," she offered. Lorelai could tell she was concerned. She never wanted her kid to have to worry about her, but she couldn't blame her. Luke's news had blown up her day, too.

"I can stay," she argued weakly.

"No, you go. You need a break; it's been a long day." Lorelai frowned.

"I can't argue with you there."

"So I'll see you at home later then?"

"Uh, maybe. I think I need to go talk to Luke," Lorelai told her. Rory nodded her understanding.

"Go. Talk. I've got this covered."

"Thanks, Kid," Lorelai said. She gave Rory a grateful pat on the arm before heading off toward Luke's.

It was only 7:45 and the diner was still open, but Caesar was running the show when Lorelai entered. She took a quick glance around for a flash of flannel before heading directly for the stairs to his apartment.

Lorelai gave the glass on the door a few quick raps when she reached the landing. She didn't knock much these days, but today she felt like maybe she had had lost automatic entry status in Luke's world. If he couldn't trust her with most basic things about his life, surely he wouldn't want her intruding on his personal space without announcing herself.

When Luke opened the door, he took in her demeanor and stepped aside so she could walk past him. She heard him close and lock the door behind her.

"Lorelai..." Luke began.

"Stop, Luke," she said, firmly. She was facing away from him, her eyes darting around the room, looking to see if the space had somehow changed since the last time she was here. She thought it should be different. Everything felt different.

Luke sighed behind her, but didn't speak again.

Lorelai moved forward into the space. She ran her hand over his kitchen table, a chair. She ventured further, stroked the blanket slung over the back of his chair and then headed for the bed. She stopped and looked at place where they had shared so much.

Here in this bed they talked about their hopes and dreams. They made love for the first time, and countless times after that. They talked about having children of their own, they celebrated their engagement, they made drunken mistakes, they fought and made up.

It all felt so far away as she looked at it now.

Luke closed the distance, coming to stand a few feet away from her.

"Lorelai, I have to apologize again."

"Don't."

"But..."

"No, Luke. I don't want to hear that you're sorry," she said firmly, turning to face him. "We need to talk about this – really talk. Because what you did is not okay."

"I know that."

She continued on, "I mean, we've only talked about this in public. And as much as I love this town, I really can't deal with this being front page news for the foreseeable future, so I couldn't say what I needed to say out there."

"Did you mean what you said earlier, about postponing the wedding?" he questioned nervously.

"This isn't about the wedding, Luke. Of course I meant it. But there's so much more to say."

"I know, I'm sor..."

"For the love of god, stop apologizing!" she snapped. She watched as Luke sighed and his shoulders slumped. She could see him searching for the right words.

"We said no secrets," he finally said.

"Yes, we did," Lorelai said, remembering the conversation from two months ago.

"This was a big one."

"Huge," she agreed.

"I don't know what else to do but apologize and beg you to forgive me."

"Well, the begging part sounds okay," she joked humourlessly. Luke sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Let's sit down," he suggested, nodding toward the couch. Lorelai allowed this and stepped past him into the living room. She sat in the middle of the sofa and Luke settled down next to her. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking again.

"Luke, I can deal with the daughter drama. What I can't deal with is you keeping things from me."

"I should have told you right away, I know that. I knew it then, too, but every time I tried, I just couldn't seem to get the words out," he explained.

"You should have tried harder."

"You're right. There's no excuse."

"No, there isn't," she said firmly.

"So where do we go from here?" he questioned, looking nervous.

"Well, what are my options?" Lorelai asked. "I can either forgive you or leave you, right? I feel like I need a third choice."

"Lorelai, if you're mad, get mad. God knows, I deserve it," he told her. Lorelai frowned.

"You want me to be mad at you because it would make _you_ feel better," she asserted.

"I want you to do what feels right. I don't want you walking on eggshells around me," he explained. He took a beat, and then spoke again. "Lorelai, I will do whatever it takes to make this better," he said quietly.

"If only I knew what that was," she said softly. She shook her head against all of the swirling thoughts, trying desperately to form a sentence, but she couldn't. It was all too muddled. He kept his mouth shut – perhaps out of respect for her, or maybe just self preservation. She wasn't sure.

She turned to face him more fully and appraised him for a moment. His shoulders were slumped, his hands fidgeted in his lap. He had lost the backwards baseball cap and his flannel was unbuttoned. His shoes were gone, his feet were bare. His eyes looked sad and tired. His lips were drawn into a frown. She thought he looked older, but no wiser.

She finally met his gaze, her brow creased as she tried to decide on what to say that would let him know just how badly he had fucked this all up, so she could hurt him the way he hurt her.

But that's not really what she wanted, deep down, and she knew it. She could spew vile things at him and she was pretty sure he would take it in stride, but that's not what would make her happy.

Finally, she decided on what she wanted to do next, and swallowed against the anger simmering just beneath the surface so she could get it out.

"Okay. Option three," she said evenly. "Give me tonight, Luke. Give me tonight to be mad, and to do what I need to do. And then tomorrow we'll get up, dust ourselves off and move forward. Can you do that for me?"

Luke nodded his ascent.

"I can do that." She watched him for another long moment, unmoving. She saw his adam's apple bob up and down with a heavy swallow. She scanned the length of his body, and she saw him do the same to her.

She shifted closer on the couch and jutted her chin up so she was staring directly into Luke's eyes, defiantly, just inches away. She could feel his breath on her face, the heat from his body. It made her tingle with anticipation, which frustrated her to no end. She wanted to feel that power over him. She didn't want to be affected by him.

"Tell me you want me," she said.

"You know I do,” he said quickly.

"Tell me," she demanded.

"I want you," he acquiesced. She reached out and cupped him through his jeans. He flinched at first contact, but didn't move away. She wrenched her hand away and went to work on the button and fly of his jeans. He lifted his hips as she pulled them down along with his underwear and took his flaccid member in her hand, pumping it a few times. He eyed her curiously at the sudden intrusion, but again, he didn't move away.

"Get hard for me," she told him.

"Give it a minute." She stroked him more, still nothing.

"Luke," she said, frustrated.

"I can't do it on command," he argued weakly. He reached down and replaced her hand with his own, pumping his member hoping to spark some life in it. Lorelai sat back and watched him do it. Luke closed his eyes and continued to work. She wondered what he was thinking of that could titillate him in this moment. What fantasy was he concocting in his head to distract from everything that was happening between them?

She didn't want him to be able to escape this place and time. If she had to suffer through it, so should he.

She grabbed him by the wrist, stopping his movements, and his eyes shot open to look at her. He was about a quarter-cocked, nothing she could really work with. She gave her head a shake and leaned down to put her mouth on him. Without an erection, she could take all of him in without choking.

She did this a few times, sucking heartily and using her lips to create a tight squeeze as she worked to rev him to life. She heard his breathing pick up slightly as he slowly became hard in the warmth and wetness of her mouth. Her strokes became shallower and her hand came into play, working him hard to make sure his erection would last for the duration.

When she finally pulled away, Luke was watching her with a mix of arousal and trepidation.

"Should we," he gestured for the bed. Lorelai regarded it for a moment before shaking her head. The bed was a happy place for them. She didn't want to defile it.

"Here is fine." She pulled her shirt off and quickly shed her bra. Luke did the same with his t-shirt and flannel and pushed his pants and underwear the rest of the way off. Once Lorelai had kicked off her own bottoms, she slung a leg over Luke's hips and claimed his lips in a punishing kiss. It was devoid of the romance they often enjoyed in their coupling, and she hoped it relayed all of the feelings that she couldn't put into words; all of the hurt, all of the anger, all of the pent up frustration that had been building since she walked into the diner earlier that day.

She sucked Luke's bottom lip into her mouth and bit down on it, just hard enough that he would know it wasn't meant to be playful. He let his hands go to her hips, but otherwise didn't do anything to stop or distract her.

She ripped her lips from his and moved to his neck, nipping and licking as she went. Luke lolled his head to the side, granting her better access. Lorelai raked her nails down his chest, leaving angry red marks in their wake. Luke groaned at the feeling of her nails against his nipples, and tightened his grip on her hips, grinding up into her. A familiar tingle worked its way through her at the feeling of his hardness against her clit, and she opted to let her lizard brain take over. She grabbed his cock by the base of his shaft and lifted up just enough to place him at her entrance, dropping down onto him somewhat carelessly, landing back in his lap with a thud.

She began to move quickly up and down, gripping his shoulders to help her move on him, digging her nails into the skin she found there. The pace she set over him was hurried and uncoordinated, not intended to bring pleasure as much as it was to assert dominance.

Luke gripped her hips tightly to help her move over him, but she didn't want his help. She grabbed his wrists and put them against the back of the couch, holding him there so he couldn't touch her, he could just watch her move over him, her breasts bouncing in front of him, her chest flushed red with exertion.

Luke let her hold him still, and watched as she fucked him with abandon. Something about his passiveness irked her, and even though she wanted to take her frustration out on him, she felt the whole thing was lacking sport. She stopped moving suddenly, his cock deep inside of her.

"Fight back," she told him.

"No," Luke shook his head. Lorelai tightened her grip on his wrists.

"Fight back!"

"Lorelai..."

"You gave me tonight, Luke. Fight back!" she exclaimed.

Luke sighed. He watched Lorelai closely to make sure this was really what she wanted. Seeing no lack of confidence, he pushed back against her hands on his wrists. Lorelai bit back a wry grin as he did so, giving it back as good as she got as they sparred on the couch, hands slipping and grappling as they went, until finally Luke had freed his wrists from her grasps. His hands went to her sides and he used his superior strength to throw her off his lap; she landed on her back next to him on the couch, her hair splayed out over the cushion.

Luke shifted toward her, a knee beside her and his other foot planted firmly on the floor. He grabbed her hips and pulled her centre in line with him as he pushed back into her, regaining the speed she had cut off so abruptly a moment earlier. In this position he could hit her deeper as he sat upright, his eyes raking over her body as he pummelled her with his thrusts.

Lorelai arched into the feeling, her head driving back into the couch cushion and her eyes closing tightly against the sensation of Luke filling her over and over again. She grabbed her breasts and squeezed her nipples tightly, revelling in the twinge of pain as she twisted them in her grasp.

Luke linked an arm under her knee and leaned forward, bringing her leg up to her chest, allowing him to go even deeper than before. Lorelai felt herself stretching to the limits of her mobility as he opened her up wide for his pleasure.

She unhanded one of her breasts and reached up to grab him by the back of the neck, pulling him down further, her leg stretching painfully between them. She was relieved when he unhooked his arm and let the leg fall to the side where Lorelai could control it.

With both hands free, Luke leaned down further over her and claimed her lips in a searing kiss. Lorelai knew his wasn't like the dispassionate one she had placed on him earlier. His tongue sought entry and she denied him.

Luke growled against her lips, sending a shockwave through her. She didn't even know she was close, but that sound, that guttural, animalistic noise from the man fucking her senseless drove her to the brink. Her eyes shot open and she saw Luke's boring back into hers, watching her intently as her mouth opened in a silent scream.

"Come for me, Lorelai," he pled. She could see that his own release was coming up soon, and she didn't want to miss it. His release would prove that he was as affected by all of this as she was.

She shook her head. "You first."

Luke closed his eyes tightly and continued to thrust wildly into her. When he came, he did so with another growl that sent Lorelai flying over the edge despite herself.

Luke continued to thrust as she went through it, spasming around him and milking his cock for all it was worth.

When he finally slowed, he dropped his head to her chest and breathed deeply against her breast. Lorelai put her hands on her own head to steady the dizziness that had overcome her, and also to keep from touching him and holding him in the tender way she always did after sex. She wasn't ready for that.

After a few minutes, Luke pulled away and his spent member dropped out of her. He got up from the couch and walked a few feet away, his head dropping into his hands. Lorelai watched him go as she considered her next move.

Without a look in her direction, Luke headed for the bathroom leaving the door ajar by a few inches. A moment later, Lorelai heard the shower turn on.

She looked up at the ceiling and considered all that had happened between them that day – not just the sex. The sex was explosive and emotionally draining, but it was just sex. They had done it hundreds of times before and she was sure they would do it thousands more. But the day itself was one of the worst she could remember, and she didn't want to end it on this note.

She pulled herself up from the couch, the slick skin of her back peeling uncomfortably off the brown leather as she stood on wobbly legs. She took in a steadying breath and headed toward the bathroom.

If Luke was surprised when Lorelai slipped into the shower behind him, he didn't show it. He stepped aside, making room for her under the spray and watched as she threw her head back to wet her hair and face.

Lorelai wiped the water from her eyes and opened them to find him looking at her intently, standing just a few inches away. Drops of water clung to his eyelashes, and his wet hair made his eyes seem bluer than usual. She scanned his face, taking note of the fine lines starting to show around his eyes and on his forehead, telling the story of his life that had changed so dramatically in the last few months.

She lifted her chin up and closer her eyes, inviting him in for a kiss. It was slow and full of the tenderness their night had sorely lacked. She opened her lips to his tongue, meeting it with hers as his arms snaked around her, pulling her slick, wet body against his in a way that was both gentle and needy. She brought her arms around his neck and held him to her as her lips continued to move against his, the spray of the water hitting her back all the while.

Luke was the first to pull away. He dropped his forehead to hers.

"I know you don't want to hear another apology," he said quietly. She shook her head.

"I don't need one. I know you're sorry."

"So what now?" he asked. She searched his gaze for a long moment before responding.

"Tell me you love me," she whispered. He didn't avert his gaze.

"I love you, Lorelai. So much," he told her, his voice soft but firm.

"Then let's put this behind us," she offered. He nodded his agreement and placed a lingering kiss against her forehead. Lorelai sunk further into his embrace and let him hold her there until the water ran cold against their skin.

She only ever had one option, she realized as she let the remnants of her anger slip away. She had to forgive him. Leaving him was never really on the table.


	26. Words Into Action

**Words into Action**

**Inspired by Episode 6.15 - Vineyard Valentine**

**_LUKE:_ ** _I love you, and I'm gonna marry you, and at our wedding, we're having lobster._

**Description: When Lorelai questions Luke's commitment to her, he pulls out all the stops to show her how he feels.**

* * *

She wondered if he had been feeling it too, the shift that occurred in their relationship after she learned about his daughter.

That night, after they had angry sex on his couch and vowed to move forward together, things were just different. It was subtle, but it was there. These days, it was all Lorelai could think about. Luke touched her less. He spent fewer nights. He made excuses not to see her even when April wasn't around. She didn't know what he was going through because he didn't tell her. He didn't let her help.

That bothered her. Luke had always let her help before. With Rachel, with his Uncle Louie's funeral, with Jess, with Liz, with his dark day... whatever. He confided in her. He always had, and now, suddenly, he stopped.

When Lorelai was presented with the opportunity to get away with Luke to Martha's Vineyard for the weekend, she thought it would be a chance for them to reconnect. Maybe they would talk over hot toddies. Maybe they would make love against the backdrop of crashing waves. Maybe Luke just needed to escape, to get some fresh air, and he would finally come around. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

It hadn't turned out that way, though. If anything, this trip had only underscored all of the issues they'd been having. Luke wasn't himself. He was grumpy and gruff, but he was _only_ grumpy and gruff. Underneath that exterior, he had always been marshmallow-soft with Lorelai. She penetrated his armour and he was raw and real with her. But not anymore.

She sighed down at the necklace in her hand. It wasn't like Luke. It didn't feel right. When Luke gave her a gift it was special, unique, homemade. It was a rink in a box, a chuppah, handcrafted jewelry. It wasn't from a chain store. It wasn't _this_.

The necklace was beautiful, but to Lorelai it symbolized what was going wrong in their relationship. It was subtle, but it was _off_. Luke wasn't quite right, and she didn't know how to explain to him what was different, because even she couldn't totally put her finger on it.

Her mind kept circling back to the wedding; the one that wasn't happening. The one that had already cost her thousands of dollars in lost deposits because she had been foolishly holding out hope that Luke would wake up one day and be _Her Luke_ again; but he hadn't. Here he was in a beautiful place and he couldn't be settled. He couldn't be happy.

 _It's not going to happen_. Her mind kept taunting her. _It's not going to happen_. She tried to ignore it. _It's not going to happen._

She attempted to shake herself out of her thoughts and focus on what Luke was saying.

"Do you know a good lobster place?" he asked as he approached the bed where she was tucked in, wearing the pretty new negligee she had picked up just for this trip. He stopped short and watched her as she regarded the necklace. "What's wrong? I thought you liked it."

"Oh, no, I do. It's beautiful," she lied.

"So what is it?"

She thought about how to respond. She'd been biting her tongue a lot over the past month, but soon she was going to have to let Luke in, whether he was ready to hear it or not.

"I don't know. Lately, I've been feeling like it's just not gonna happen," she ventured.

"That what's not gonna happen?"

"Our wedding," she said, reluctantly. His look of concern was immediate.

"No, Lorelai, that's crazy. Of course it's going to happen," he said as he sat down on the bed next to her.

"But do you really want it to?"

"Yes. We're engaged. That hasn't changed. The wedding's just been postponed. That's all," he insisted.

Bolder, she said, "It's not feeling like it's postponed."

"What happened? I thought this would make you happy. It's making you sad," he said, gesturing to the offending necklace.

"No, it's not, it's just... I had to cancel a lot of stuff this week, a lot of June 3rd stuff."

"June 3rd? But I…"

"Well, I was holding out hope that maybe, if things calmed down with you a little bit, it would still happen. It was just stupid."

"No..."

"I lost all our deposits," she admitted.

"That doesn't matter. We'll just put down new deposits," he told her.

"Really?"

"We're getting married," he said firmly, but Lorelai remained unconvinced.

"I really want to believe that."

Luke took a breath and dove in. "Look, I know I've been preoccupied. I don't like that about myself. It's just who I am. I get in my own head, and I forget about the people around me."

"I know, that's why I thought this trip would be good for you, get you thinking about something else. But it's been cold here and Logan's been bugging you and the raccoon is noisy and the waves were keeping you up," she rattled off. "I think the trip was a dumb idea."

"Lorelai, no. It was a good idea," he insisted. "Hey..."

"What?"

"You know I love you, right?" he asked.

"I really need to hear that once in a while," she told him.

"I love you, and I'm going to marry you, and at our wedding, we are having lobster," said with finality. Lorelai quirked a small grin. At least he seemed sure. That had to count for something.

"Okay," she allowed. Luke leaned in and she met him halfway for a kiss. When they broke, she looked down at the scrap of metal and diamonds in her hand. It still didn't feel like Luke, but she didn't want to dwell on it.

"I really love this necklace," she told him, hoping to inject enough feeling into it that he would believe her. Luke nodded and bit the inside of his cheek.

"Can I be honest with you?" he asked. She nodded. "Logan bought the necklace." Lorelai's eyebrows shot up.

"What?"

Luke shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "I forgot to bring something for you. I figured I had a few days left before Valentine's Day, so I'd just get you something at home. But then Logan had this and the bracelet for Rory and I was feeling like a jerk, and he offered to give it to me," he admitted. Lorelai gaped at him, but inside, she felt a rush of relief.

"Wow, that must've hurt the pride," she came back, after taking a moment to digest. Luke huffed an uncomfortable laugh.

"It wasn't my best moment." A grin found her lips – the first genuine one she had donned in a while.

"Can I be honest with you?" she mimicked his previous question. Luke nodded. "I kind of hate it." Luke laughed heartily and Lorelai joined in, quickly falling over the edge into hysterics. The laughter felt like a release of so many pent up emotions. For a moment, just a moment, she felt like she had Luke back. Her Luke.

When they calmed down, Luke reached over and took the necklace from her and placed it back in the box.

"Let's give this back to Logan. Give me a chance to redeem myself here," he suggested. He snapped the box shut and put it on the nightstand.

"That sounds good," Lorelai agreed. She smiled back at him when he returned to her, but he was more serious.

"Lorelai, I really do love you," he said again. "I'm sorry I haven't shown you that much recently. I know I haven't. I'm going to try to do a better job of showing you, okay?" Lorelai offered a small smile.

"I love you too." He leaned in and caught her lips in another lingering kiss. Lorelai sighed into it, feeling comforted by his lips on hers.

When he pulled back, he reached out and ran the back of his hand over the green silk covering her midsection.

"Is this new?"

"Just for you," she confirmed. He leaned in and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone.

"Is this my Valentine's Day present?"

"It's just the wrapping," she told him with a smirk. Luke chuckled lightly and reached out to her left shoulder to push the strap down onto her arm. Lorelai sighed as he swept his open hand across the exposed skin of her chest to do the same on the other side. The straps hadn't covered a thing, but without them she felt more exposed.

Luke shuffled closer and dropped his lips to her bare shoulder, kissing a delicate path toward her neck before nuzzling into it, breathing in deeply her scent. He opened his mouth against the skin and brought his tongue to it, sending a shiver through her body as it tickled in just the right way. Lorelai closed her eyes and dropped her head back against the headboard as Luke continued his journey.

His hand moved to her opposite shoulder and began a path down her chest, fingers hooking in the lace trim of the bodice and pulling the garment down below her breasts. In the chilly February air, Lorelai felt nothing but heat as Luke's hand came to cover a breast, filling his palm and gently massaging as he kissed her throat more firmly.

Lorelai moaned and arched her back, pushing herself more firmly into Luke's hand. He responded by kissing his way down her chest and sucking a nipple into his mouth, his tongue marking it with small circles that teased it into a hardened bud.

Lorelai brought her hand to the back of Luke's head and weaved her fingers into his hair, holding him to her as he sucked and licked, bringing her body to life.

"Luke," she whispered. Her eyes were still closed. She was lost in the sensation of his mouth and hands on her, touching her in the way only he knew how to.

Luke crossed her chest with kisses and provided equal attention to her other nipple. As she pushed into him, he opened his mouth wider and took more of her in, then retreated with his teeth grazing the sensitive skin all the way to the hardened nub. Lorelai moaned aloud at the sensation. He tweaked her other nipple with his thumb and forefinger, and she cried out, careful to keep her tone low so as not to alert Rory and Logan to the activities going on in the guest room.

When Luke pulled away, he urged Lorelai to lay down and helped her pull her arms free from the straps of her negligee, then he pulled it down her body, revealing her to him in all of her naked glory. He shucked his own clothes and then returned to her in bed, kissing her deeply and with unreserved passion.

Their lack of connection since she learned about April was not completely lost on him, though it never occurred to him that she would come to doubt his love for her in the process. He knew she hadn't been thrilled about postponing the wedding, but he thought she understood that he needed time. He did need time – not because he didn't want to be married, but because he wanted to be fully there with her in that moment. He didn't want to be preoccupied.

Even now, as hard as he tried, he was preoccupied. Part of him was still back in that gymnasium, learning that he had fathered a child; he had been left out of the most significant thing to ever happen to him. How could fully be with Lorelai if he wasn't whole himself?

He had thrown himself into building a relationship with April. Getting to know her, forging a bond with her was, in his mind, the most important thing he had to do right now. Surely Lorelai, the woman whose entire life was defined by her relationship with her daughter, could understand that.

But she wasn't upset about April, she was upset about the wedding. That's what she told him, and he had to take her words at face value. Lorelai had never been one to keep her feelings bottled up. He was sure that if she had something to say, she would say it.

Either way, he knew he fucked up. In his efforts to get to know his daughter, he had forgotten his fiancée. That had to stop. Tonight, it would stop.

Lorelai was the only thing that mattered in this moment. He wanted to show her the extent of his love for her. Words were cheap; he was a man of action. This was the best way he could think of to prove to her that he was still all in.

Luke kissed his way down Lorelai's body, settling himself into the space between her legs. He wanted to make her feel good in every way possible.

He leaned in and kissed the spot where her inner thigh met her torso, that sensitive swath of skin that was too often ignored. When Lorelai responded favourably, he moved to the other side to provide the same attention, licking the length of the joint, tickling her with his stubble.

Lorelai had shaved for the occasion. While not mandatory, in Luke's books, a clear canvas was always nice to work with. He rewarded her by kissing the smooth skin of her pubic mound, swirling his tongue around it and down to her outer lips, which were fully laved with affection as he worked his way inward, knowingly teasing Lorelai by avoiding the area where she wanted him most. With his hands, he pushed her lips closed so he could lick the slit, providing only the barest of pressure to the area where he knew she wanted him most.

When he spread her open, he went for her inner labia, tugging on them with his lips and licking circles around her vagina. By this point, Lorelai was moaning in earnest and forcing her hips to remain still so he could continue his torturous journey.

When Luke licked the length of her sex, from vagina to clit, Lorelai audibly gasped. She wasn't ready for it, wasn't expecting the direct assault. But that's what it was, as Luke licked her over and over again, his tongue flat, dragging her own lubrication along with his saliva leaving her wet and waiting for more.

He went inside first. She moaned at the feeling of his tongue entering her shallowly, diving in as far as he could go and tasting her unique flavour. Lorelai bucked her hips upward and he put his hands under her to boost her into the perfect position for oral penetration. Luke feasted on her for several moments, making her shiver and sweat with anticipation as he gave her every ounce of his affection before moving to the main event.

When he finally descended on her clit, Lorelai was nearly vibrating with pleasure. He sucked the sensitive bud into his mouth and teased it with tight lips, releasing it and repeating the process to provide ample attention and leave Lorelai moaning and muttering nonsense above him. His tongue came into play and he opened his mouth around her clit, licking circles around and over it as she grasped his hair in handfuls and pulled with unrestrained fervor.

Luke knew the moment she fell over the edge, as her legs began to shake her muscles tensed. He worked her through it determinedly, not letting up for even a second as she shivered under his touch.

When she began to come down, Luke moved to lave the surrounding area with attention, dropping fervent open-mouthed kisses to her hips and inner thighs, licking and sucking the skin he found there. Lorelai continued to mutter his name as he made her entire lower half tremble with satisfaction.

He kissed upward and returned to her breasts, kissing, licking and sucking at them while diving his middle and ring fingers into her soaking core and flattening his palm against her clit. Lorelai cried out at the sudden invasion, but she didn't have much time to get used to it before his whole hand was moving against her, fingers curling against her g-spot and the heel of his hand creating an incredible friction on her clit that made her whole body seize. The sounds of her wetness filled the room as he brought her up with absolute determination, the muscles in his arm screaming as he focused on getting her there once more.

On the heels of her first powerful orgasm, she came again with a gasp, coating Luke's hand with her release.

Her whole body shivered as Luke returned to her mouth once more and kissed her with barely repressed passion. She didn't fight him, opening her mouth to him as his tongue delved inside and took every last bit of her. They were barely kisses, just an open-mouthed connection that left her breathless and wanton and waiting for whatever came next.

She could feel him hard between her legs. He ground his erection against her sensitive clit and made her groan into his mouth, letting him know how he affected her. She kissed him back with everything she had, feeling drunk with pleasure and simultaneously insatiable with need. She'd had his mouth and his fingers, but she needed more. She needed all of him. It was time for him to give it to her.

Luke pushed himself up and situated her on her side. He straddled her bottom leg and urged her other knee to bend up to her chest, creating space for him. Lorelai let him manipulate her body as he pleased, knowing whatever came next would be worth the wait. When he pushed into her, sliding easily home, she knew she was right.

Luke watched her and she watched him as he set up a quick and needy pace. He couldn't hold back after the buildup, and she couldn't take even a second more of his foreplay. They both craved the ultimate connection and that's what Luke was going to give her.

Lorelai reached back with her hand and Luke took it in his, holding it tightly as he filled her over and over again. A sheen of sweat formed on his body and brow, and his breathing became ragged as he continued at this pace for as long as she needed him to.

By now, Lorelai had gone from caring about keeping her voice down, to not giving a single solitary hoot whether or not she could be heard. The way Luke was taking her begged for vocal support, and she couldn't help but give it to him.

She grasped his hand with all of her might as those incredible feelings welled up in her again. She wanted to close her eyes and succumb to the pleasure, but she couldn't look away. His blue eyes bore into hers and she needed to see him, needed him to see her as she came apart. For whatever connection they had lost over the past month, she was determined that they would experience this moment together.

"Ung, Lorelai," Luke moaned as he neared his own release.

"Yes, Luke. Yes!" she exclaimed as he continued to pound into her. Luke didn't jackhammer fuck her often, but he was dangerously close to it now. She wanted it all, every last ounce of him. "Faster," she told him in a ragged voice.

With his spare hand, Luke took hold of her upper thigh and used it as leverage to reach his maximum pace. Lorelai moaned loudly as he pummelled her with short, hard strokes, burying himself to the hilt with each hit. She was soon squeezing him inside of her as her orgasm began to take hold, filling him with intense relief as he knew he was only seconds behind.

When Luke flew over the edge, they watched each other, bodies seizing, hips crashing, mouths agape with gasps and groans and names on their tongues. He continued to crash into her until every last ounce of release was through, until his body couldn't sustain the movement and all he could do was give in to the exhaustion.

He fell to the bed behind her and slid up against her back, their bodies in total connection as he wound an arm around her waist and caught her hand in his. She could feel puffs of his breath against her neck, his heart beating through his chest. She felt much the same, completely exhausted, but totally fulfilled.

"I love you," he mumbled. He kissed her shoulder. "I love you." Kiss. "I love you." Kiss. "I love you." Kiss.

She felt tears burn at the back of her eyes, but blinked them back dutifully. She would not ruin this moment.

She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed his open palm, then his wrist.

"I love you," she told him. Luke sighed and rested his head on her back. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and tried to focus only on the sounds of her breaths coming deep and steady.

He loved her. He wasn't sure about much else in life, but that he knew this beyond a shadow of a doubt. He just hoped she knew it too.


	27. Making the Call

**Making the Call**

**Inspired by Episode 6.18 – The Real Paul Anka**

**_LUKE:_ ** _You gonna miss me?  
 **LORELAI:** Especially if my elbow hurts.  
 **LUKE:** I'm gonna call you a lot.  
 **LORELAI:** Same here._

**Description: Luke's gone for ten days. Lorelai decides to take advantage of the distance.**

* * *

Lorelai sunk a little deeper into the hot, sudsy water, breathing in deeply and letting it out slowly, trying to embrace the feeling of calm that she had been seeking when she drew the bath nearly 20 minutes earlier.

Luke had been gone for four days. Four of ten. Not a long absence, in the grand scheme of things, but the only other time they'd been apart for so long was when they broke up after her parents' vow renewal. She wasn't used to not seeing him every day. She missed him.

Truth be told, she'd been missing him a lot lately. When he was with April, she wasn't allowed to come by, and when he wasn't with April, it seemed like his mind was somewhere else. Sure, he still showed up for her. He still came to her house most nights. He slept in her bed. He responded to her advances. He told her she was beautiful. He made her see stars. But he wasn't really there – not entirely. Not the way she needed him to be.

When the idea of him taking this trip with April's team was presented, Lorelai encouraged him to go. She felt like she had to, so he would know she supported him building this relationship with his daughter. And she did, of course. If the situation was reversed, wild horses couldn't drag her away from her kid.

But Lorelai knew if the situation was reversed, wild horses couldn't drag _Luke_ away from her kid either.

There's the rub.

She sighed and moved some bubbles around the surface of the water.

She really missed having Luke in her life. She missed being a part of his. She missed the Luke who told her everything, even before they were together. She missed the Luke who sought her advice when his nephew came to town, who confided in her about his relationships, who let her help with his uncle's funeral, who told her about his dad and his dark day. She missed the Luke who made her his number-one priority – even if that made her a little selfish. She just missed what they had, and how he made her feel when they had it.

She missed the way Luke touched her when he was there. _Really_ there. The way he was so attentive. The way he would bury himself inside of her like their souls were merging, not just their bodies. The way he would whisper words of love and affection in her ear after they finished.

She felt that familiar tingle beneath the surface of the soapy water. She longed for him to come back and make her feel what he, and only he, was capable of making her feel.

She reached between her legs and slid her middle finger up and down, feeling little shocks of electricity coursing through her. She closed her eyes and imagined how Luke would do it if he were there. How he would wet his fingers with her juices and spread them over her sex. How he would take her nipple in his mouth and graze it with his teeth to enhance her pleasure. How he would lick and suck at her clit, and then kiss her so she could taste her own arousal. How he would slide into her and hit her deepest depths, leaving her feeling so very full.

She sighed and pulled her hand away. God, she really did miss him.

The plug was pulled a moment later and Lorelai laid in the tub, unmoving, until the last dregs of water gurgled down the drain. She felt heavy when she pulled herself up, like each of her limbs were suddenly carrying a 20lb weight. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself before stepping out of the tub onto the mat that soaked up the drips of water falling off her skin.

Stepping forward, Lorelai regarded herself in the mirror. Her hair was dry, pinned up to keep it out of the water, but the rest of her body glistened with the remnants from her bath. On her face, a frown that had become all too customary when she was alone. She thought she hid it pretty well the rest of the time, but she didn't feel much like smiling these days when she didn't have to.

The house phone rang, startling her. It was 9:30, so she knew it was Luke.

She thought about letting it go to voicemail, but quickly dismissed the idea. She couldn't avoid his calls. That wouldn't help with the whole _missing him_ thing.

Making her way into the bedroom, she snagged the phone from its cradle and flopped back on the bed wrapped up in her towel. She answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, bad time?" Luke greeted.

"Nope, perfect time. Just got out of the bath."

"Oh, nice. Did you use the bubble bath Rory got you for Christmas?"

"Sure did," she confirmed.

"That stuff smells amazing."

"No kidding. I want to lick myself."

"Well, don't let me stop you." Lorelai laughed brightly, genuinely.

"Careful what you wish for, buddy." She heard the low rumble of a chuckle on the other end. It made the hair stand up on her arms. "So," she redirected. "How was your day, Jack? You tired of the road yet?"

"It's starting to wear a little," he admitted. "But it was good. The kids did well in their competition today."

"That's great."

"Yeah. April really holds her own too. She's a smart kid."

"She sure sounds like it," Lorelai agreed, feeling a niggling of disappointment in her gut. She tried to tamp it down. "How about the two of you? You hear the 'D' word again, or just the once?"

"Just the once," Luke confirmed. He had told her after that first day about April calling him 'dad'. "I don't want to push her, you know? I want her to come around to it on her own."

"I know. She will."

"She seems to like having me around though. She sat with me at lunch – _voluntarily –_ so I guess I must be doing something right."

"Hey, that's high praise coming from a teenager."

" _Almost_ teenager," he corrected quickly. "Please don't take away my last month of her just being a kid."

"Sorry," Lorelai said with a small laugh. "So, where to next?"

"Lancaster tomorrow. I gave you my itinerary, didn't I?"

"You did. Just making conversation."

"Oh, sure. Yeah, Lancaster tomorrow and then Philly. Thinking of stopping in to see Jess. We'll be there in time for his open house."

"That's a nice idea."

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "And I think it'll be good for April to meet him, you know? Get to know at least _someone_ from my side of the family."

Lorelai frowned. "Yeah, _someone_ ," she agreed, quietly. Luke didn't seem to notice her lack of enthusiasm.

"So, what about you?" Luke asked.

"Me?"

"Yeah, how was your day? What's going on there?"

"Oh, it was good. Not much to report," she told him.

"What, I leave and suddenly the town stops being crazy?" Lorelai smiled at that.

"No, the craziness is still intact. I just thought you'd want a break from it."

"Well, you're not wrong about that," he allowed. "But you're good?"

"I'm good," she confirmed. "I miss you."

"I know, I miss you too," he told her.

"You do, huh?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Of course I do."

"How much?" she asked. She was met with a brief silence on the other end of the line.

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm just curious," she said, lightly. "I've been missing you _a lot_."

"Yeah, me too," Luke said, still clueless.

"What are you wearing?" she asked, an amused smile on her lips.

"Uh, pajamas?" Luke said, his voice going up at the end in question.

"Standard? Green shirt, sweats?" she confirmed.

"Same as always," he said slowly.

"Are you wearing the sweats I got you for your birthday?" she probed.

"Those are the ones. Why?"

"No reason. Just picturing your ass in them," she said, boldly.

"Lorelai!" he exclaimed, a small laugh in his voice. She grinned.

"What, you can't blame a girl for noticing the goods."

"Ah, geez," he said under his breath.

"Come on. You've got a great ass. A _world class_ ass."

"Can you please stop saying _ass_ now?" he whispered, as if hiding the comments from a crowd.

"Would you prefer I talk about the frontal view? Because let me tell you, those pants do not leave much to the imagination," she informed him. Luke rolled his eyes.

"And apparently I have to throw them out when I get home."

"Don't you dare," Lorelai said sternly.

"What are you doing, exactly," he asked. Lorelai shrugged to herself.

"Just getting a good mental image to work with," she said breezily.

"To work with for _what_?"

"Oh you know. This and that." She could practically _hear_ him rolling his eyes.

"Lorelai…"

"What? I'm not allowed to think of you when I'm all alone in my bed at night? Would you prefer I think of someone else?" she asked innocently.

"I think I'd like to know what you're planning to do with those mental images."

"What do you _want_ me to do with them." She heard a chuckle on the other end.

"You don't play fair, you know that?"

"I'm well aware," she said with a grin. "Aren't you interested in what I've got on? Want me to set the scene for you?"

"Lorelai," her name left his lips in a sigh. "I'm on a trip with a bunch of kids."

"Are they in your room with you?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"No."

"Then you're fine."

"This is a hotel. The walls are thin," he protested weakly.

"I guess you'd better keep it down then." She heard him sigh deeply, and waited a long moment for his reluctant response.

"What are you wearing?" he finally asked. She could have lit the room with her 100 watt smile.

"Just a towel."

"A towel?"

"Yep, just a towel," she confirmed. "I was all wet."

"Man. You _really_ don't play fair," Luke groaned. Lorelai giggled and shuffled down a little on the bed, getting more comfortable.

"If you don't like it, I could take it off," she offered.

"Geez."

"Is that a yes?"

"That's a _geez_ ," Luke corrected her. A moment, then, "Where are you?"

"In bed," she answered quickly. "On top of the sheets. My lamp is on, but that's the only light in the room."

"You look beautiful in that light," Luke told her, sweetly. She smiled to herself.

"And in every other light, of course," she teased.

" _Of course,"_ he agreed readily.

"What about you? Are you in bed?"

"Uh, in the chair by the window. But I think I'll change that up," he told her. She could hear some shuffling on his end, then he came back. "In bed now."

"Is it comfy?"

"It's a Holiday Inn. The mattress is too soft and the pillows are lumpy."

"Quite a picture you paint," Lorelai joked.

"It's comfy enough," he corrected. "Not really thinking about the bed right now anyway."

"Oh? What are you thinking about?"

"You, in that damn towel," Luke told her. She smiled. A shot of arousal went through her as he spoke.

"Good image?"

" _Great_ image."

"Kind of hard to feel my body through it though. It's too thick," Lorelai said, rubbing a hand over her torso.

"Well then I guess you'd better take it off," he suggested, forced lightness in his voice.

"Seems prudent," she agreed. She stood up and untucked the towel across her chest, letting it fall to the floor, before returning to the bed. "Towel's gone."

"You're naked?" he asked.

"Yup. A little nippy in here though," she told him.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Making things _react_ a little."

"Tell me about it," he encouraged her. She smiled at him playing along.

"There are little goosebumps on my skin," she began, teasingly.

"What else?" She let out a breath and brought her hand to her chest, teasing up and down between her breasts. The sensitive skin of her wrist slipped across her erect nipple, sending a jolt through her. She let out an audible breath at the sensation.

"My nipples are hard," she whispered, feeling at once self conscious and emboldened.

"Touch them for me, tell me what it feels like." She closed her eyes, imagining his breathing picking up at the image of her naked for him. She wondered if he was as turned on as she was.

She put her phone on speaker so she could use both of her hands to explore further.

"I'm running my hands up my stomach, over my breasts. My fingertips are tracing my nipples," she let out a breath as she traced circles around the hardened nubs. "They're so sensitive. I want to feel your mouth on me."

"Fuck," Luke said in an exhale.

"What are you doing now, Luke?" she asked.

"I'm just listening," he told her. "What do you want me to do?"

"Take your shirt off," she instructed. She heard the phone jostle, and he came back a moment later.

"Done."

"What's going on in those sweats of yours?" she asked. "Are you getting hard for me?"

"Definitely getting there," he confirmed. "God, I wish I was there with you now, Lorelai."

"Me too. But this is okay, right? It's kind of sexy." The rumbling chuckle on the other end send a spark of desire coursing through her body.

"Yeah, it's pretty sexy," he agreed.

"Tell me what you would do to me if you were here," she suggested.

"If I was there," he said, softly, drawing out the words as he built the scenario in his head. "I would take your right nipple in my mouth, draw my tongue around it slowly, suck on it gently."

Lorelai followed the direction his tongue would take with a finger, then plucked at her nipple, feeling that wonderful tugging of his mouth sucking her in, making her nipples ache with desire.

"I can feel you," she said softly. She tugged a little harder and moaned audibly. She heard a similar sound come from the phone.

"I would move to your other breast, give it the same attention," Luke told her. "I'd drag my teeth over it, flick my tongue against the tip."

"Mmm. You always know just how to touch me," she sighed.

"Are you turned on, Lorelai?" Her name left his lips lazily, like he was losing himself in the fantasy.

"You have no idea.” Lorelai let her right hand venture down the cool skin of her torso, burying it in curls at the apex of her thighs. She spread her legs to give herself space to work, as she spread her folds and slipped a finger into her heat easily. "I'm so wet, Luke. I can hear it when I slide my finger in and out of myself," she told him.

"Fuck, Lorelai. Tell me how wet you are."

"Think Halloween of '04," Lorelai told him, a grin playing on her lips as she recalled one of their all-time best romps.

"Jesus," Luke said as the images came to him. "You gonna squirt this time?" he teased. Lorelai giggled.

"Might need you and your magic fingers for that," she said. His dark chuckle came over the line again. "Are you ready for me yet?"

Luke had yet to touch himself, but he could see his soldier tenting his pants. In case the feeling of pure desire wasn't strong enough, he had a visual representation of his arousal right in front of him.

"I'd say so." She smiled, picturing him.

"Take your pants off." She waited a moment. "You ready for me, Babe?"

"All set," he told her. "God, Lorelai, I'm so hard. I want to feel you."

"What should I do to you?" she asked. Luke took hold of his shaft and gave it a testing pull, quickly realizing he wouldn't need much stimulation to push him over the edge.

"Let's focus on you first," he suggested. "You still have the bullet in your nightstand?"

Lorelai's eyes popped open at the suggestion. A grin worthy of the Cheshire Cat spread across her lips.

"I like the way you think." She reached over to pull open the drawer beside her. She found what she was looking for quickly.

"You find it?" Luke asked.

"Got it," she confirmed.

"You ready to follow some instructions?" Luke asked. Lorelai giggled.

"All set, Teach."

"Good. I want you to reach down and dip your fingers inside, get them wet, and bring them to your clit."

Lorelai followed Luke's directions to the letter. She tucked her index and middle fingers into her heat and extracted them. They glistened with moisture from her needy core. She moaned aloud as she brought those two fingers down to her clit and rubbed the sensitive nub in tiny circles, coating it with her own juices.

"Ung, Luke," she moaned softly. She pushed back inside and dragged her fingers back up, lubricating her entire sex as she went.

"Tell me what you're doing," Luke reminded her. As she began to describe her actions, he took his erection in his hand and rubbed it gently from base to tip, providing just enough stimulation to keep him hard and ready, without pushing him over.

"I'm slipping my fingers up and down, getting myself good and wet, everywhere."

"Lorelai," Luke whispered. "Turn the bullet on and put it inside of you."

Lorelai knew Luke could hear the buzzing as soon as she turned on the device, as it was unsubtle. She hoped the sound aided with the visual.

She brought it directly to her opening and slid it inside. Her body jolted with the sudden vibrations that assaulted.

"Oh, god!" she cried out.

"How does it feel?" Luke asked.

"So good. So, so good," she mumbled.

"Where is it, Lorelai?"

"It's all the way inside," she told him, her voice thick with arousal, her breathing picking up. "It makes me think of how you fill me. You're the only one who has ever gone so deep."

Luke's grip tightened around his erection as he was reminded of that feeling, that incredible sensation of bottoming out inside of her, filling her to the hilt. "Fuck," he moaned into the receiver.

"I'm fingering my clit while it vibrates inside of me," she narrated. "It's feels so good, Luke."

"Take it out, switch it to the pulse setting," Luke told her. She took a moment and fished around for it, before extricating it and pressing the small button until it began to pulse vigorously in her fingers. The silicon was slick with her juices, making it difficult to keep hold of.

"What now?" she asked, already moving it back down to where she wanted it most.

"I want you to circle your clit with it, like I do with my tongue," Luke advised.

The sudden jolts of vibration around her clit made Lorelai's back arch against the bed.

"Oh, fuck," she cried out. "Oh, yes!"

"Tell me. Tell me how it feels," Luke demanded, tugging himself a little faster.

"It feels like my entire clit is vibrating."

"Put it directly against your clit. Lay it flat," Luke said. Lorelai's resounding moan sent a wave of pleasure through his body.

"Ung, Luke," Lorelai moaned. "Tell me you're with me, Babe. Tell me you're hard and ready to fuck me."

"I'm so ready," Luke moaned. "I want to bury myself inside of you. You have no idea how bad."

"I can't last like this, with the bullet. It's too much. I'm so close," she moaned. Her hips bucked against the device as she held it firm against her clit.

"I want to hear you come," Luke said, pulling harder, faster.

"I want you with me," Lorelai pled, although her body was poised to go over the edge whether she wanted it to or not.

"I'm close, just hold on," Luke urged. His hips bucked up into his hand as he squeezed and pulled, his fist firmly wrapped around the head of his cock.

"Talk to me. I need to hear your voice," she demanded.

"I'm so hard, Lorelai. All I want is to be inside of you. You're so wet, so tight," Luke said, his voice thick and strained.

Lorelai began to shudder as the first waves of her orgasm hit, and his name left her lips with a cry, her breathing speaking up. "I want you inside of me. Oh, god."

"I'm in you," Luke came back. "I'm fucking you, so hard. I can feel you coming apart." The muscles in his abdomen began to quake as his release neared.

Gasping breaths left Lorelai's lips as she rode out her orgasm, pushing the bullet against her clit while her hips thrust wildly against it.

"Luke, yes!" Lorelai cried out.

No sooner had the words left her lips, than Luke's own orgasm ripped through him, his seed shooting out over his stomach with each hard pull of his hand.

"Oh fuck, Lorelai," he groaned.

For moments, the only sounds over the phone line were their moans and gasps, and various curse words as they each fell deep into their individual releases. They didn't need the words to know their climaxes had been reached.

As they came down, they each breathed heavily. Lorelai switched off the bullet and tossed it on the bed next to her. Luke unhanded his spent member and dropped his cum-covered hand to his stomach to keep it off the sheets.

Luke was the one to break the silence.

"Well that was unexpected." Lorelai burst into laughter, and she could hear Luke chuckling tiredly on the other end.

"Not half bad though," Lorelai told him through her giggles.

"Not bad at all," Luke corrected her. The pair let their laughter settle, before Luke spoke again.

"I love you," he said softly. Lorelai smiled, her heart feeling fuller than it had before their call.

"I love you too."

"I should go clean up," he told her, reluctantly.

"Love 'em and leave 'em, huh?"

"That's my motto."

Lorelai smiled. "Talk tomorrow?"

"It's a date."

"Are we gonna do this again?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her tone. Luke chuckled.

"You're insatiable."

"You complaining?" Lorelai asked.

"Never," he said quickly.

"Goodnight, Doll."

"Night, Lorelai."


	28. Seeing You Happy

**Seeing You Happy**

**Inspired by Episode 7.22 – Bon Voyage**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Thank you._   
**_LUKE:_ ** _Oh, it's no big deal._   
**_LORELAI:_ ** _Luke._   
**_LUKE:_ ** _I just like to see you happy._

**Description:** **Luke and Lorelai reconcile after their long and painful separation.**

* * *

Somehow she already knew. Even as Sookie was explaining to her that Luke had done everything to make this improbable party happen, she already knew. He was Luke, and there wasn't a single thing in the world he wouldn't do for Rory, or for her.

She had stopped believing in superheroes early in life – the ones that could leap tall buildings in a single bound, or move mountains, or fly. But somehow the flannel man challenged all that. And so when she stood under a hundred tarps and tents and raincoats sewn together, surrounded by the people she loved, who loved her and her daughter, she knew there was really only one person who could pull this kind of thing together overnight.

"Luke," she said, her voice soft. She shook her head a little at his insistence that it was no big deal.

He took a breath and steadied himself, and then looked at her with the kindest eyes. She remembered those eyes. She had spent many late nights gazing into them after making love.

"I just like to see you happy," he finally said, and her heart leapt into her throat.

It didn't seem to matter how many times they hurt each other, or how many new and creative ways they could manage to screw up, he still just wanted to see her happy. That's all she wanted for him, too.

They stepped forward at the same time. The bag of charcoal hit the ground and Luke's lips were on hers, his arms coming around her shoulders and holding her to him in a bear hug that she never wanted out of.

Lorelai held on tight as they kissed in the street. A few yards away, all of Stars Hollow was partying, or perhaps they were watching; it didn't really matter. Her future was standing right in front of her. He was kissing her. They were promising each other more, even if it was still unspoken.

Luke had always managed to say so much with just a look, just a touch, and this one contained multitudes. She smiled against his lips, and he did the same. They smiled until they couldn't kiss anymore.

When they broke, Lorelai smiled up at him tearfully. "It had to be you. All of this. It had to be you."

"I had help," he shrugged. Lorelai smiled wider.

"Stop being so humble, it's annoying," she teased. Luke chuckled lightly. She leaned up to kiss him again, and was welcomed back into his arms readily. This time, his hand went to her cheek as the other splayed out on her back, a tender but firm hold keeping her in his grasp. She sighed into the kiss and allowed it to take her to where she wanted to be.

Luke was the first to reluctantly pull away. He looked over her shoulder at the party, relieved to see that they hadn't amassed an audience.

"We should get back," he said tentatively, though it was clear that he didn't believe the words as he was speaking them.

"We could. Or we could go to your place," Lorelai hedged.

"You sure? We don't have to do this tonight. You should be with Rory."

"There are like a hundred people who all want a piece of her tonight. We can get away for a few minutes," she reasoned. Luke grinned his agreement.

"Let's go." He took her hand in his to pull her along with him back to the diner, the charcoal forgotten in the street.

Lorelai felt nervous as they started up the stairs to his apartment, but she didn't speak. She didn't know what to say. All she knew is that being alone with Luke was the most important thing right now. The words could come later.

They needed to talk, but not tonight. She wasn't going to let those words get in the way of enjoying this moment; this long-awaited reconciliation. She missed him too much. Her heart, head, body and soul missed him.

Once inside, Lorelai moved to stand in front of the dining table as Luke closed the door behind him. He started toward her, then thought better of it and turned back to flip the lock. She stood still as he approached, coming to stand about a foot away from her – close, but not imposingly so.

She searched for something to say. It wasn't a lack of words that she struggled with, but too many. She didn't know where to start.

She was relieved when Luke took the reins.

"Listen, before we say anything else, just let me say this," he said. "I love you, Lorelai. Whatever else there is to say, we'll say it. We'll talk about everything. But you need to know that I love you and I want to be with you. That's where I'm coming from."

Lorelai smiled at the admission. Luke didn't really need to say it. It was clear in his actions. He was always good like that, showing her how he felt. In fact, the only time she had ever asked him for the words was when she couldn't see it anymore.

But outside the party raged on and all of their friends were there because Luke loved her, and loved her daughter. The words, though welcome and beautiful, were a redundancy. Of course he loved her.

"I love you too," she said quietly. Luke nodded, seeming to accept this.

"Okay," he allowed. "Then we'll figure the rest out."

"Yes, we will." She had no doubt. "But can we just sit in this feeling for a while? Just for tonight?"

"I'd like that." Luke agreed. "Actually, I have something for you."

Her eyes lit up. "A present?"

"Something like that." He pulled the pink box out of his back pocket and handed it to her.

"Ooh, butt-boxes. My favourite." Luke rolled his eyes. "It's warm," she said, amusedly.

"Would you just open it?" She giggled, and the sound pierced his armour and made him smile. She opened box and fingered the stones on the necklace, peering up at him.

"It's beautiful," she said softly.

"I thought you'd like it."

She put her hand up to the necklace already around her neck. "Can you?"

Luke rounded her and she tried to tamp down the tingles that came from his touch as he unclasped her necklace and exchanged it for the new one.

"When did you get this?" she asked as he worked on the clasp.

"Uh, a few days ago. After karaoke night," he told her, hesitantly.

Lorelai stilled and he finished clasping the necklace, then ran his fingertips along the tops of her shoulders and down her arms. He took hold of her wrists and wrapped both of their arms across her midsection, pulling her back against his chest.

"You didn't say anything."

"I heard you tell Babette and Patty that it didn't mean anything," he admitted. Her shoulders sunk and she dropped her head, shaking it as she remembered her words the morning after her impromptu serenade.

"Oh Luke," she sighed. "I was just saying that to get them off my back. Off _your_ back. I wanted to talk to you first."

He tightened his hold on her and dropped a kiss to the side of her head. "I should have known. I think part of me _did_ know, but I didn't want to be wrong."

"God, even now, our communication sucks," Lorelai groused.

"Give us a chance to do better." Luke kissed her shoulder and she let some of her tension release, sinking back into his embrace.

"God, I've missed this," Lorelai said in a sigh. His body was firm and sturdy behind her, and with his arms around her, she felt completely safe.

Luke kissed her neck and she lolled her head to the side to give him a little more room to work. She smiled to herself as his lips peppered tiny kisses up and then down again.

"Luke?" Lorelai whispered. He stopped kissing and brought his lips back to her ear.

"Yeah?"

"Make love to me."

Luke kissed her again, just beneath the ear. "You sure? We can wait."

"We've waited long enough." Luke smiled and kissed her neck again, this time allowing his hands to leave the safety of her midsection, caressing his way upward. Lorelai sighed and dropped her head onto his shoulder as he took a breast in each palm and gently squeezed them over her shirt. As his hands moved down again, Lorelai covered them with hers and helped him find his path back upward. She tingled at the sound of a groan in her ear as their hands claimed her breasts more firmly.

"Lorelai," he whispered in her ear. The gravelly tone in his voice made her shudder. All she wanted was to feel him inside of her again. She ached for him.

Their hands continued to roam together for moments longer; Lorelai could feel Luke stiffening at her backside as he gently pushed his hips forward seeking the barest of friction. She arched her back and pushed back against him, while at the same time pushing her breasts more firmly into their hands, offering herself to him. Luke groaned and took a firmer hold of her breasts as he met the swell of her ass with a long grind.

"Bed?" Luke suggested. Lorelai could barely think of anything beyond the feelings of his hands and body, so she wasn't sure where he was finding his words. She just nodded and tried not to whine as he pulled away from her. His absence didn't have time to be keenly felt though, as he turned her around and kissed her deeply.

Lorelai opened her mouth, inviting Luke's tongue inside to tangle with hers as he started to back her in the direction of the bedroom. They kissed and groped as they bumped past chairs and tables, nudged the dividing wall, and finally came upon the bed.

Before she could fall down onto the mattress, Luke broke the kiss and grabbed her shirt by the hem to pull it over her head. She raised her arms to help him ease it off, and then reached behind her back to unclasp her bra. Luke offered her a look of amusement, mixed with unguarded desire.

"We don't have much time," she reminded him. He chuckled lightly and leaned in to kiss her again as she began to work on the buttons of his flannel.

Their clothes were hastily removed before the pair settled back into the bed. Luke hovered over her body and kissed her with everything he had as he positioned himself at her entrance. Before pushing in, he pulled back.

"Do we need protection?" Lorelai was amazed he thought of it. Throughout her relationship with Christopher she'd been doubling up on birth control – something she did as a rule prior to Luke.

Somehow, it just didn't seem like a priority with this man. Perhaps, she thought, that should have been a sign.

"I'm still covered," she assured him. Luke leaned down and kissed her again softly, and then let himself sink into her warmth. It felt like coming home.

It was a slow burn as Luke set up a pace that left neither panting or screaming, rather just watching each other, kissing, feeling every inch as he filled her and then retreated, only to fill her again. Kisses came frequently, along with whispered words of love. Lorelai raised her hips to meet each thrust and closed her eyes when she felt tears prick at their corners. She wasn't one to get emotional during moments like these, but being with Luke after so much had happened between them was overwhelming. Her heart ached with fullness and it was all she could do not to break down into sobs as Luke loved her so tenderly.

Luke must have been able to see the raw emotion on her face, but he didn't stop his movements. He understood what she was feeling. He felt the same, as he swallowed past a lump in his throat.

Luke rolled to the side with his erection still deep inside of Lorelai, and she slung a leg over his hip to keep him there. He began to thrust shallowly as he encircled her in his arms and hugged her tightly to his chest. Together they moved, pushing and pulling, soft moans combined with errant sniffles from Lorelai as she lost her battle.

"Lorelai," Luke whispered. He stopped moving and she pulled back and looked at him with tears overflowing.

"I'm okay," she promised. "I'm just a little overwhelmed." He leaned in and kissed her tear-stained cheek.

"Me too," he admitted. She smiled shakily.

"Then why I the only one crying?" He chuckled lightly and gently kissed her cheek again, then her nose, and finally her lips. She responded immediately, and he started moving again, that slow in and out that allowed them to feel everything.

Lorelai's body began to shake as he moved inside of her. She tightened her arms around him and moved a little faster, urging him to speed up. With his hand under her thigh, he hitched her leg a little higher on his waist and increased the speed and intensity of his thrusts.

When Lorelai came, it was with a whisper, not a scream. But that whisper felt like the purest form of ecstasy as waves of warmth tingled through her body outward toward her extremities. She closed her eyes as Luke took his final few thrusts and emptied into her with the barest of grunts.

They'd had more explosive sex before. They'd had moments where they both saw stars, where their hearts felt as if they would beat out of their chests, where they felt they might never move again. This was not that. This was deeper; something from the soul. The ache that resided in both of them for longer than their separation went with it, leaving something else behind.

Love. Comfort. Safety.

Lorelai curled herself into Luke's arms and dropped her forehead against his chest.

Yes, they would have to talk soon. There were words to say and arguments to be had. But he had once, long ago, promised her she would get the whole package. She knew now as she basked in the afterglow, this had to be it.

**XXXX**

Lorelai and Rory finished up their breakfasts, chatting animatedly about life and love and what the future held for both of them. Luke had stopped by the table a few times to refill their coffees, offering his typical health warnings, but the admonitions had no teeth and they knew it. He was just playing his part, pretending that everything was normal when it was all about to change. Lorelai appreciated him for that. It would be hard enough dropping Rory off at the airport without belabouring the point that she was leaving, with no fixed date to return.

Once the final pancakes were down the hatch and the last dregs of coffee were consumed, it was time to go. They all knew it. It couldn't be put off any longer.

"Okay, well," Lorelai said, pushing her chair back. "I think I'll hit the little girls' room, and then I guess we should get a move on, Kid." Rory smiled and nodded, and Lorelai took one more glance at her daughter and rose to her feet. Luke gave her a reassuring smile as she passed by him and headed into the back.

Rory got up from the table and approached Luke, who was wiping down the counter.

"What do we owe you?" she asked. Luke raised an eyebrow, and she laughed.

"So this is it, huh?" he asked. Rory's smile faltered, just slightly, and she nodded.

"I guess so."

"You're gonna do great," he assured her. She smiled and her gaze dropped down to the counter. She thought a moment about what to say, then looked up again.

"Luke, I want you to know that I'm really happy you and Mom are working things out," she began.

He smiled. "Me too."

"I just... the last year has been really tough on her, and if I thought I was leaving her here alone..."

"You're not," he assured her.

"I know. Just... take good care of her, okay?"

"Your mom is tough, Rory. She doesn't need a babysitter," Luke came back gently.

"I know, I don't mean it like that."

"I know what you meant," he said. "And I'm gonna do my best. But have some faith, okay? Lorelai is strong. Maybe stronger than anyone I've ever known. If anything, she's the one who holds me up."

"She holds you up, and you keep her feet planted firmly on the ground," Rory came back. "You two are good like that."

"I guess I'll take that," he allowed. "Your mom wouldn't want you to worry about her. She'll miss you, but she's got her own life here. She'll be okay."

"I know. But it helps that she has you. Just let me have this one, okay?" Luke chuckled as he played with the towel in his hand.

"Consider it your going away present," he joked.

"So what was last night, then?" she asked, alluding to the party. Luke flushed lightly.

"Last night was a group effort."

"You're still an old softy," she teased lightly.

"Just for the Gilmore girls." Rory felt tears prick at the back of her eyes at his sincerity.

"I'm really going to miss you, Luke."

Luke smiled softly at her in the way she had come to associate with the love she knew he felt for her. He dropped the towel and rounded the counter. She stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her head against his broad chest as he wrapped her up, warm and tight.

"You take good care of yourself," he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. She squeezed him once more and stepped back from the hug.

"You too."

"Hey, are there unsanctioned goodbyes going on out here?" Lorelai asked as she re-entered the diner.

"Not 'goodbyes'. Just 'see you laters'," Rory corrected her, wiping away an errant tear. Lorelai looked up at Luke and could see the slightest bit of moisture in his eyes, which he managed to blink back. Rory turned back to Luke and gave his forearm a squeeze. "I'll see you later, Luke."

"See you later, Rory," he said.

"Why don't you head out to the car? I'll meet you there in a sec," Lorelai suggested. Rory nodded and collected her purse and jacket before heading for the door.

"Knock 'em dead," Luke said. She smiled back at him, and pulled the door open to leave. Once she was gone, Lorelai spoke again.

"What was all that about? She ask you to make sure I don't end up swinging from an oak tree?"

"Nothing like that," he said, chuckling.

"So? What did she say?"

"Nothing. She just wanted to say goodbye. No big deal," he covered. Lorelai eyed him skeptically.

"You're so lying." He shrugged.

"She's a good kid. She's just looking out for you." Lorelai smiled sadly.

"I'm gonna miss her meddling."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll find a way to meddle from the road, don't worry about that." Lorelai laughed lightly, and then gestured for the door.

"I should get going."

"You sure you don't want me to drive you? I really don't mind," Luke offered.

"I appreciate that, but this is something I need to do myself."

"Why?" he questioned.

"You'll think it's stupid."

"Try me."

"It's just... we started this journey just the two of us, you know? So it feels like that's how we should end it. Just me and her. Thelma and Louise."

"That's not stupid," Luke said.

"Really? 'Cause I was starting to doubt myself for a second there."

"God help me, but after 10 years, your crazy is starting to make sense to me."

Lorelai chuckled. "That can't be good."

"I'll call a shrink on my lunch break."

"Speaking of someone who needs a shrink, if you don't open soon, you're going to have a permanent Kirk-shaped face-print in your window," Lorelai said, drawing Luke's attention to the man whose face was pressed against the glass as he peered in through cupped hands.

"This whole town needs to be diagnosed," Luke griped. Lorelai smiled.

"I should go. Get Rory to the airport before I lose my nerve and lock her in her room until she agrees to stay home forever."

"Will I see you later?" Luke asked. She nodded.

"Yeah. I might be drowning my sorrows in a five-gallon tub of Ben and Jerry's, but you'll definitely see me later." Luke leaned down and kissed her gently. She returned it briefly and then pulled back with a smile.

"Nice to be able to do that again," Luke said. Lorelai smiled.

"Yes. It is." She gave him a small wave and headed for the door. Luke watched from inside as she got into the Jeep and pulled away. He waited another long moment after they left before finally going to flip the sign to "open", letting Kirk into the diner.


	29. Highest Bidder

**Highest Bidder**

**Inspired by A Year on the Life - Spring**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Hey, let's bid.  
 **LUKE:** Why?  
 **LORELAI:** Basket bidding was part of our early romance._

**Description:** **Lorelai and Luke enjoy their tradition through the years.**

* * *

**Thursday, March 20, 2003**

* * *

Luke looked out the front window of the diner. The square was already abuzz with activity as a series of events were planned for the spring festival. Vendors were setting up booths, game stands were going up and tables were filling the gazebo for the annual basket bidding fundraiser.

It didn't take much to get the people of Stars Hollow to gather. Apparently the first day of spring was as good a reason as any.

It made Luke wish for six more weeks of winter.

"Oh Lucas!" He heard her before he saw her. He hadn't even heard the bells over the door chime to signal her entrance.

"Don't call me that."

"Uh, it's your name, Mr. Grumpy Pants," Lorelai came back, settling on the stool in front of him.

"Don't call me that, either." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the gigantic yellow object she had placed on the counter between them. "What the hell is this?"

"It's a basket," Lorelai answered plainly.

"I can see that it's a basket. Why is it _here_."

"Because it needs to be filled," she explained.

"I repeat the question." Lorelai sighed.

"I didn't have time to shop. Can't you just whip something up and stick it in there?"

"I am _not_ filling your basket for you," Luke said, firmly.

"Why not? I'm paying you for it, what do you care?"

"It's the principle of the matter."

"You have a _principle_ against making food and giving it to paying customers? I hate to break it to you, pal, but you might be in the wrong business."

"I have a _principle_ against taking part in these idiotic town events," he clarified.

"You're not taking part, _per se_. You're just doing what you would be doing anyway."

"Forget it. Get that thing off my counter," he said. Lorelai sighed.

"Fine." She pouted as she grabbed the basket and dropped it on the ground by her feet.

"Thank you," Luke said, with no hint of actual gratitude. "Coffee?" he finally offered.

"Big cup," she responded. Luke grabbed the pot and a mug from under the counter and filled it up for her.

"You eating?"

"Oh, I'm allowed to order food now?" she snarked. Luke rolled his eyes.

"You were always allowed to order food."

"Just as long as it doesn't go in the basket," she sussed out.

"Right," he confirmed.

"Fine. I'll take a burger and fries, and a turkey sandwich, and a couple chocolate chip muffins to go," she ordered. Luke eyed her skeptically.

"This is going in the basket, isn't it?"

"Uh, no, it's leaving this building in a to-go bag, and going back to the inn where I work," she explained.

"Who's the turkey for?"

"Michel," she answered quickly.

"Michel," he mimicked.

"Yes, Michel."

"Michel doesn't eat bread, cheese or meat on Thursdays," Luke rattled off.

"It's a cheat day," she lied. Luke eyed her for a long moment before turning back to the kitchen and putting in the order. "I don't know why you care so much," she said once her food was being made.

"I don't care," Luke argued.

"Uh, clearly you care, but you shouldn't. It's not like I'm dragging you out by your flannel again."

"That remains to be seen."

"Oh come on, Luke, that happened _one time_ , and it was an emergency!" she exclaimed.

"You call that an _emergency_?" he asked.

"When was the last time Patty tried to set _you_ up," she came back. Luke backed down a little.

"Fine, it was a _minor_ emergency."

"Thank you," she said, pleased to have made her point.

"So who's the lucky guy this year? He's getting real food, so he must be someone special," Luke questioned.

"No one in particular."

"No? Not Little Pete from the nursery or the Collins kid? No clogged gutters or unmowed grass to take care of?" Luke teased.

"Not this year. I've got you for all that, and I don't need to bribe you to do it," she answered with a wide grin. Luke huffed a small laugh despite himself.

"So all this effort and no intended victim? What are you doing it for then?" Luke asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "It's tradition," she answered easily.

"Right, of course." Luke gave her a look to let her know he thought she was crazy, but didn't pursue it further.

"Order's up!" Caesar called from the kitchen. Luke turned back and grabbed the to-go boxes, bringing them around to the counter.

"Here, give me the damn basket," he grumbled. Lorelai perked up.

"You're not gonna make me smuggle it out of here?" she asked.

"Waste of a perfectly good bag," he said. Lorelai picked the basket up and set it on the counter. Luke put the two meals inside and then grabbed some muffins and brownies for good measure. Lorelai eyed him curiously. "In case the turkey is a bust," he responded to her unasked question. Lorelai smiled at him and set some cash down on the counter.

"Thanks Luke," she said, sincerely.

"Yeah, yeah," he groused. She hit him with another toothy grin and grabbed the basket, skipping to the door to make her exit.

"Way to stand your ground, Danes," he mumbled to himself once she was gone.

**XXXX**

It was 11:45 promptly when the basket bidding began. Luke knew this, because suddenly all he could hear was Taylor's irritating voice announcing the inane event over a damn megaphone, doing his best impression of an auctioneer despite having exactly no skill in that regard.

The first baskets went quickly. He watched them go from the doorstep of the diner. _Luke's_ had emptied out shortly after breakfast, and with all of the festivities in the town square, he hadn't seen a soul for at least an hour. There were few things he hated more than a lull, especially one without an end in sight.

He watched another couple of baskets go. Low bids - $15 here, $25 there. At this rate the bridge would never get redone.

He knew immediately when Lorelai's basket came up for bidding. It was bright yellow, and he watched her perk up in the crowd as bidding began.

It started low. Five bucks, six. It took ages to get to $12.

He bit back a grin. People knew it was Lorelai's basket and nobody wanted to eat what she had packed. Stories of stale Twinkies and Pop Tarts must have finally made their way around the basket bidding circuit. Not even the promise of a date with Stars Hollow's most eligible bachelorette could persuade hungry men to buy in.

Luke spared Lorelai a glance. She was obviously put out by the low wagers on behalf of the men of Stars Hollow. Usually she put in a good showing.

He was moving before he made the conscious decision to get in the game.

"$37.50," Luke called out, way overshooting the highest bid. All eyes turned to him, making him immediately uncomfortable. He found Lorelai's gaze in the crowd and saw her look of relief and gratitude, and felt slightly more at ease.

A moment later, Taylor banged his gavel, confirming the sale of Lorelai's basket to Luke, for the second year in a row.

"You didn't have to do that," she said, making her way over to him. Luke shrugged.

"Diner's slow, and you looked like you needed someone to throw you a line," he answered nonchalantly. "Besides I was gonna have turkey for lunch anyway." Lorelai smiled and hooked her arm through his, giving the limb a little hug.

"Thanks for the line," she said quietly, turning her attention back to the bidding. She didn't extricate her arm from his for the rest of the event, as they watched the remaining baskets get sold off.

**XXXX**

"Are we gonna have this same damn conversation every year?" Luke grumbled as he sat across from Lorelai at a picnic table set up in the square.

"If you insist on sitting on a bench and not on the ground _every year_ , then yes," she came back.

"There's nothing wrong with having a picnic at a _picnic table,_ Lorelai. It's right there in the name!" Luke exclaimed.

"Look around us, Luke. Couples everywhere, eating on blankets on the ground. That's the whole point of a picnic."

"Just be glad someone bought your damn basket." Luke punctuated his point by taking a big bite of his turkey sandwich. Lorelai frowned, but drowned her sorrows with a fry, finding it a fine substitute for actually winning the argument.

"So can I ask you a question?" Lorelai asked after a few moments.

"Shoot."

"Would Nicole have a problem with this, do you think?" she asked. Luke's eyebrows furrowed.

"Why would she have a problem with this?"

"I don't know. Just asking,"

"Would the Fish Man have a problem with it?" Luke shot back. Lorelai grinned lightly at the name.

"I doubt _Alex_ would have much to say about it."

"No?" Luke asked. "Your boyfriend doesn't have any problem with you putting up a basket for other men to bid on?"

"He's not my boyfriend," she answered quickly. Luke raised an eyebrow.

"But you're still seeing him, aren't you?"

"Off and on," she said, then thought better of it. "More off than on."

"Oh, sorry," Luke said, feeling a little bad about rubbing it in.

"Don't apologize. I started it," she said with a wave of her hand. Luke frowned.

"I shouldn't have assumed."

"Luke," she said, capturing his attention. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Well, to answer your question, no, I don't see any reason why it would bother Nicole. She knows we're friends," Luke told her. Lorelai offered a smile.

"Good, I'm glad. I don't want to cause any weirdness for you."

"No weirdness here," he assured her. "And if there was, I can safely say it wouldn't be your fault."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Never mind," he shut it down. Lorelai frowned, but didn't push.

"So are things going well with you two?" she asked. Luke shrugged.

"Sure," he said easily. She laughed lightly.

"Clearly it's a love for the ages, with sonnets like that." Luke laughed lightly.

"It's good. Things are good," he came back. Lorelai smiled.

"Good." She went on, "Do you think it's a long-term thing then?"

"It's a little early to say," Luke answered, more openly than even he expected. "I like her though."

"Like, huh?" Lorelai asked. Luke looked at her confusedly.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, not at all. It's just been a while, I thought you might be a little further along than _like_ ," she told him.

"It's only been two months," Luke corrected her. Lorelai shrugged.

"That's plenty of time."

"Not for me," Luke responded, a little defensively.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to put you on the spot," Lorelai said amenably. "I'm just curious. Apart from Rachel, I've never seen you in a serious relationship. You loved her, right?"

"That was different."

"How?"

"It just was," he insisted. "I've known Rachel a long time. What we had wasn't new."

"But how long did it take you to fall for her the first time?" Lorelai asked.

"We were kids. Everything happens faster when you're young and stupid," he responded. Lorelai considered this.

"I guess so," she allowed. She waited a beat. "Do you miss her?"

"Rachel?" She nodded. "Nah."

"No?"

Luke shook his head. "I missed her before she came back, but I think we got the closure we both needed last time she was here," he explained.

"Well that's good. There's nothing worse than wanting what you don't have anymore," Lorelai said a little wistfully.

"You thinking about Max, or Rory's dad?" Luke inquired. Lorelai smiled sadly.

"Neither. Both. I don't know," she answered. "With Max, I had this great guy, a truly wonderful guy, who loved me. And when I thought of our future together, it was a nice idea," she said. Luke listened intently as she explained. "But when I pictured my future without him, that was okay too. I think that's when I realized that whatever I felt for him wasn't really love – or at least not strong enough to justify getting married to him. I figure you should probably have a hard time imagining your life without the person you're going to be with forever."

"That seems like a good place to start," Luke agreed. "What about Christopher?"

"Christopher is someone I will always care about," she said softly. "But I've gotten used to what it is, you know? He's got a new baby, a new wife. There's nothing left for us, so I guess I've accepted that whatever we had will never be more. And I think I'm okay with that," she explained. Luke nodded his understanding.

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm sorry the Fish Man didn't pan out," Luke told her, genuinely. She offered him a small smile.

"For what it's worth," she mimicked. "I hope you get there with Nicole. It's nice to see you happy."

"Thanks."

Lorelai raised her can of soda, gesturing for him to clink his orange juice. "To finding that feeling again," she toasted.

Luke rolled his eyes, but went ahead and tapped his plastic container against her aluminum one.

"To finding that feeling."

* * *

**Saturday, March 20, 2004**

* * *

The madness was back, like clockwork. It was the first day of spring, and like always, the square was filling up bright and early for the day's festivities.

It was a little before 8 am when Lorelai buzzed into the diner, wearing jeans and a hoodie with a cap, as if attempting to be incognito.

"Morning," Luke greeted congenially. Lorelai stepped up to the counter but didn't take a seat.

"Hey, Luke. Can I get a coffee and blueberry muffin to go?"

"You late for a meeting or something?" Luke went about filling the order as he spoke.

"No, just too much to do and not enough time to do it," she explained. Luke was becoming familiar with days like these as the renovations on the Dragonfly were in full swing. Lorelai still made time to chat, usually, but she was busier than he'd ever seen her.

"You doing the basket thing this year?" Luke asked, nodding out the window toward the square. Lorelai followed his gaze outside and turned around with a frown.

"Shoot, is that today?" she asked, put out. "I can't; no time. Damn."

"So what's the plan today?" Luke asked, handing over her to-go bag and coffee cup.

"Lock myself up in my house like a hermit until I make all the calls and send all the emails on my list. So I guess I'll see you next year sometime."

"I'll mark it on my calendar." She gave him a smile and dropped a few bills on the counter to pay for her breakfast before heading for the door.

"You do that."

She shot him a quick goodbye over her shoulder before making her escape. Luke couldn't quite account for the disappointment he felt at her leaving. He opted not to look too deeply into it, instead moving down the line to serve the next customer.

**XXXX**

It was a little after one when Lorelai heard a knock at the front door. She stood up from the kitchen table, her body groaning and creaking as she went. She had been sitting in the same position for over three hours, hunched over her laptop as she contacted dozens of people, sourced countless items for the inn, and looked up beach vacations she was determined to escape to when all was said and done.

She rolled her neck a little to work out the crick in it.

"Ugh. I'm too young to feel like this," she grumbled to herself as she went for the door.

On the other side was Luke, picnic basket in hand. Lorelai smiled at the sight.

"What are you doing here?"

"Thought you could use some lunch." He held up the basket. "You interested?"

"Uh, let me think about that for a second," she teased, stepping aside so he could enter. "What on earth made you do this?"

"Call it temporary insanity." Luke toed off his shoes and headed for the living room, setting the basket on the table and pulling it open. "I've got all the basics. Burger, fries, brownies," he rattled off. Lorelai came around and peered inside the basket. Her smile only grew as she saw the coffee carefully situated in the corner, reinforced by boxes and napkins so it wouldn't tip over.

"Angel," she said as she pulled out the still-warm cup.

"You talking to me or the coffee?" Luke asked, amusedly.

"Take your pick," she told him, before taking a sip from the cup. The sound that came from the depths of her could easily be misconstrued as sexual, if Luke were a lesser man.

"Look, I know you're busy, so I don't have to stay," he hedged.

"No, please stay. I need the break." Luke nodded his agreement.

"So, where do you want to eat?" he asked, looking around. Lorelai grinned and set her coffee down on the table before grabbing a blanket off the back of the sofa and laying it out in front of the fireplace. She gestured to it with a bright smile.

"No," Luke said, firmly.

"Come on, Luke. Look at all the work I did to set this up," she poked.

"You put a blanket on the floor." She grabbed her coffee and the basket and sat down on the blanket.

"I set the stage for a beautiful picnic. Now are you coming or not?" Luke heaved a heavy sigh and unzipped his jacket, tossing it onto the couch before coming to settle on the floor across from her.

"If you tell _anyone_ about this…" he grumbled.

"And ruin your bad boy image? Never!" she exclaimed. Luke rolled his eyes.

"I do not have a _bad boy_ image."

"I beg to differ," Lorelai said, pulling out the boxes of food and laying them on the floor between them. Luke grabbed the one with his chicken salad sandwich and opened it up.

"Whatever," he brushed her off. She smiled and opened up her burger.

"Oh my god, this smells amazing," she moaned.

"Better be worth it for the clogged arteries." Lorelai shrugged, unworried, and took a giant bite, ketchup dribbling down her chin. "Very nice. You learn that at your fancy prep school?" Luke teased. She laughed around her mouthful and wiped the condiment away with a napkin.

"Oh yeah, right up there with how to curtsey and sit in a crinoline," she joked. Luke shook his head amusedly and tucked into his sandwich.

"You didn't really answer me before," she said after another bite.

"About what?"

"Why you did this? Are you just taking pity on me now? Because I have to tell you, I find that highly offensive and will do absolutely nothing to discourage this kind of behaviour," she said.

"You seemed a little disappointed about missing the basket thing. I had some time. It's no big deal," he shrugged it off.

"Well, it's a big deal to me. And I appreciate it, really." Luke offered a small smile at that. "Although, I'm thinking this is probably the last time we're gonna get to do this," Lorelai said after a minute. Luke's brow furrowed.

"Why is that?"

"Well, your _wife_ probably won't be too pleased about it, unless she's suddenly joined the Lorelai Gilmore fan club." Luke frowned.

"Lorelai…" he attempted.

"No, really. I'm not trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying."

"Saying what? I'm married, so I can't have friends?"

"No, of course not."

"Then what?" Lorelai sighed, regretting bringing it up.

"I just don't want you to get in trouble with Nicole." Luke bit the inside of his cheek, considering this.

"She doesn't have to know," he finally said.

"Luke…" Lorelai let her next words go unspoken. Luke knew what came next; there was nothing to say to that.

"I'm just tired of having this conversation," he said after a minute. His voice was low, resigned.

" _This_ conversation?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No, the _Lorelai_ conversation. With Nicole," he clarified. Lorelai slowly nodded as she came to understand his meaning. She knew Nicole had issues with their friendship. He had told her as much, almost a year earlier when the Independence Inn caught fire.

"Has it gotten any better?" Luke huffed a humourless laugh, which Lorelai took as her answer. "Do you think it will?" she ventured.

"In time, maybe. I don't know," he said. He let out a frustrated breath. "I just wish I could convince her there's nothing to worry about."

"Do you think it would help if I talked to her?" Lorelai offered. Luke's eyes widened, before he was suddenly shaking his head vigorously.

"No. No, I don't think that would help at all," he said in a rush, an incredulous laugh leaving his lips.

"Bad idea?" she questioned, an amused smile on her lips. Luke met it with amusement of his own.

"Good intention, bad idea. Thanks though," he told her, before sobering somewhat. "Seriously, you shouldn't worry about this. It's just a thing between us. Nicole will either get over it or she won't. It doesn't change anything here," he said, gesturing between them. Lorelai bit the inside of her cheek, thinking about this for a moment.

"Are you doing anything to make her feel better about it?" she asked.

"What am I gonna do that I haven't already done? I can only tell her how it is so many times," he said, a little defensively.

"What does she want you to do?" Lorelai asked, not entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer. Luke sighed.

"It doesn't matter. Like I said, being married doesn't mean I can't have friends." Lorelai nodded slowly, allowing this.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've had that conversation a few times myself over the years," she told him. Luke's eyebrows raised.

"What conversation? About us?" he asked. Lorelai nodded.

"Lots of inquiring minds," she told him. Luke frowned, but didn't speak, which only encouraged Lorelai to continue. "Why do you think that is?" she asked.

"Why do people ask about us?" he clarified. She nodded. "Beats me."

"I mean, do you think there's some reason they think that? Are we giving off a vibe or something?"

"A _vibe_?" Luke repeated. Lorelai shrugged, and he sighed. "I don't think it's our problem what people think of us. We know we're just friends, that's all that matters," he said with a certain amount of finality in his tone.

"It matters a little bit when you're wife is the one asking the question," Lorelai came back. Luke frowned and lowered his head, setting the rest of his sandwich back in the box, his appetite waning. He thought about arguing her point, but realized he really couldn't. When he spoke again, his tone was tinged with regret.

"Yeah. This is probably the last time we're gonna do this," he said slowly. When he looked up, he caught a flash of sadness in Lorelai's gaze that reflected how he was feeling at the prospect of losing their relatively new, but enjoyable tradition – and whatever else might give off those _vibes._

"Well then," her voice was a little shaky, but sure. "Guess we'd better make this a good one. You want a beer?" she offered, a sad smile on her lips. Luke shared a similar expression and nodded.

"Beer sounds good."

* * *

**Sunday, March 20, 2005**

* * *

There were many upsides to owning her own business, but in Lorelai's mind, the success of the Dragonfly came with one massive downside: time. She didn't have any.

For years she had made it a priority to participate in town events. But because those special events were met with an uptick in visitors to their quaint little town, the inn was always bustling with activity when those significant dates came around.

It was the first day of spring, which meant it was the first day of the spring festival, one of Lorelai's favourite town traditions. But the Dragonfly was full, all staff were on duty, and she couldn't possibly take the day off to enjoy it.

There was one tradition she was missing that made her just a _little_ more upset than the others. Granted, she hadn't entered a basket the year prior, but she had come to enjoy her lunch dates with Luke, and this year would have been even more special, because it would mark the first time they were actually dating during the festival. But alas, no basket, no bidding, no romantic picnic with her handsome boyfriend.

She silently cursed their unlikely first-year success as she flipped to yet another page of their guest book, trying to work out exactly how they had managed to double-book multiple weekends in May and June. She barely noticed when a quiet knock came at the door and Michel poked his head in.

"What's up?" she asked, not looking up from her work.

"That man is here. The flannel man," Michel said, his tone dripping with its usual disdain. Lorelai's brow furrowed.

"Luke's here?" She wracked her brain trying to think if she was expecting him, but was coming up empty.

"Luke. Ranger Bob. Whatever," Michel droned. Lorelai pushed her chair back and stood up, still puzzling over her visitor. She followed Michel out into the lobby where, true to his word, Luke was waiting for her. A grin immediately took over her features when she saw the picnic basket in his hand.

"What's all this?"

"Thought I could steal you away for a quick lunch," he said simply. Lorelai smiled and closed the distance, greeting him with their customary peck on the lips.

"Hi," she greeted properly. Luke offered a small grin in return.

"Hi."

"Ugh," they heard from the front desk behind them.

"Ignore him," Lorelai instructed.

"Was planning on it," Luke confirmed. "So, you wanna go eat in your office?" He gestured down the hall.

"No, I've been holed up in there all day. I need some sunshine. Let's go eat outside."

"Fine by me." Lorelai turned back to the desk.

"I'm going out for half an hour. Let me know if anyone calls for me," she said to Michel.

"I live to do your bidding," he snarked.

"Good!" She turned back to Luke. "Let's go. I'm starving!"

"What else is new?" he teased as they made their way out onto the front porch. "So where do you want to go?"

Lorelai looked around the grounds from her spot on the porch, before an idea came to her. She took hold of Luke's hand and they ventured off.

"I know just the place!"

"Is it far?" Luke grumbled.

"Not far, just a little more private," she explained as she took him down a neatly manicured path behind the stables. They walked through the woods for another fifty yards or so before coming upon a clearing with a small shed and a picturesque view of Potter's Creek.

"What's this? Did I know this was here?" Luke asked.

"It's the potting shed, and apparently not."

"What do you need a potting shed for?"

"For _potting things,"_ Lorelai teased, before softening a bit. "And, you know, it's nostalgic. Rory and I lived in the potting shed at the Independence. I just thought it would be a nice reminder of where we came from." Luke offered her a small smile hearing the story.

"Well, I hope you don't plan on housing anyone in that thing, but I suppose it's a nice idea," he allowed.

"Okay, well, here we are," she said with a flourish. "Let's eat."

"Right here?" Luke asked, gesturing to the grassy earth beneath them.

"Right here!" Lorelai exclaimed. She kicked off her pumps and dropped to the ground, straightening the skirt of her royal blue wrap dress over her knees. Luke grumbled his discontent with her choice to eat on the ground, but gave in, settling down across from her and setting the picnic basket between them.

"What'd you bring me?" Lorelai asked, pulling open the top.

"What do I always bring you?" He started pulling out the items in the basket and setting them on the ground between them, gesturing to each container as he rattled off their contents, "Burger, fries, brownies, coffee. Eat it before the ants do."

"Oh come on, it's March. It's too early for ants," Lorelai said, opening up the container that held her burger.

"All the more reason to eat inside. It's cold out here," Luke grumbled. She just shook her head, grinning as she took a big bite of her burger. Not even Luke's customary surliness could put a damper on her mood. In fact, it probably added to the ambiance.

The pair chatted amiably and flirted as they ate their respective meals, taking full advantage of the privacy afforded by their locale. They hadn't seen or heard another soul since stepping off the porch of the Dragonfly, a fact that made them both appreciate their lunch date all the more. It made it sweeter; more intimate.

After they finished up, they cuddled up and lounged for awhile, just enjoying the cool spring breeze, the ducks in the creek and the rustling of the trees that served as a canopy over this spot that was quickly starting to feel like a romantic getaway to the overworked couple.

Settled in between Luke's legs, leaning back against his hard chest, Lorelai was hard-pressed to find any reason to get back to work. The mountains of paperwork stacked on her desk were no competition for the warm body of the wonderful man she was currently snuggled up against.

"I'm pretty sure your half hour is up," Luke said.

"Don't remind me," Lorelai sulked. She sunk further back into his chest to avoid getting up and going back to work, eliciting a small chuckle from the man behind her.

"You're stalling," he said in a low tone, his mouth next to her ear. Lorelai felt a familiar tingle run up her spine at the tone of his voice. It was a tone she mostly heard in the bedroom. She wasn't totally sure if he'd done it on purpose, or if he was just accidentally being sexy as hell. With Luke, it could go either way.

"You trying to get rid of me?"

"Never." He dropped his lips to her neck, just below her ear, and she had her answer.

Lorelai lolled her head to the side and pulled her hair away to grant him better access as he peppered small kisses along the skin of her neck and behind her ear. She sighed and sunk into the feeling as he brought his left hand to her arm, stroking it up and down gently.

"Thought you were cold," she said softly, a bit of a quiver in her voice.

"Warming up," Luke told her, his lips brushing her skin as he did so. She giggled softly at the faint tickle.

"Luke, we're outside," she protested gently. He brushed his lips against her skin again, so gently that she felt like she might melt under his touch.

"I'm not doing anything," he said with an air of innocence, before pulling the collar of her dress aside by a few inches to kiss the newly exposed skin there.

"You're trouble," she admonished. Luke nipped at the skin, and she moaned lightly, despite herself. With her ass nestled up against Luke's crotch, she could feel that he was more involved in what he was doing than he was letting on.

"Problem?" he asked. His tongue came into play against her sensitive skin, and Lorelai shifted backwards as best she could to provide more pressure against his growing arousal. She grinned to herself when he grunted into her shoulder.

"Not yet, but there will be one if we don't stop," she warned. His hand that had been stroking her arm circled her waist and pulled her back into him a little harder. She could feel his hips starting to move against her backside. Her weak resistance was met with his insistence, and she knew she was a goner.

"I just want the record to show that I tried to be the voice of reason here," Lorelai said, finally, pushing back into his now prominent erection.

"Duly noted."

Lorelai closed her eyes and dropped her head back onto Luke's shoulder as they moved together in a small and intimate dance. Luke's hand smoothed up from her stomach to her chest and he palmed her breasts over her dress. The stimulation was incredibly welcome, but not nearly enough. Luke's teasing had left her desperate for connection, and she needed them to go further, faster.

"Luke," she said in a breath.

"Hmm?" he hummed in her ear, making her want to melt into a puddle at his feet.

"More," was all she could manage. She couldn't see his expression, but she knew him well enough to picture the smirk that was making its way across his face.

"We're outside," he reminded her, amusedly. Lorelai rolled her eyes in frustration, and then spotted the potting shed.

"Let's change that." She was on her feet in an instant. Luke followed her up, and before he could get his balance, his mouth was claimed harshly by Lorelai's, who had apparently reached the limits of her tolerance of teasing. He caught up quickly, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as she took control of his mouth, filling it with her hard and insistent tongue.

Lorelai moaned as his hands stroked down her back and landed on her ass, grabbing it in handfuls and dragging her centre into his now obvious and straining erection. She let him use her this way for moments more, as with each grind, she became wetter and needier and more ready for him.

"Inside," she mumbled against his mouth. She forced herself away from him and grabbed him by the sleeve of his green jacket, pulling him toward the potting shed. Inside, the small space was cramped with two long tables lining the walls, covered in plants, soil and pots, and a muddy work surface in the middle. Lorelai closed the door behind them and rapidly pushed Luke up against it, reclaiming his mouth in a desperate and needy kiss.

Luke's hands were everywhere as they made out against the door. He groped over her ass and back, and wedged his hands between them to palm her breasts, before sliding down to cup her heated core through her clothes. Lorelai moaned into his mouth and ground down into his hand at the contact she was so ready for.

Her own hands moved quickly between them to his belt. Luke let her at it as she pulled it open, and then made quick work of the button and fly on his jeans. She didn't push them down, instead she reached inside and pulled Luke's erection out through the hole in his boxers. Luke barely had time to react before she was squatting before him, taking him into her mouth. He groaned at the sudden feeling of her hot lips around him, sucking him in and circling him with her tongue.

Lorelai didn't work on him for long. She didn't have the time, or the desire to prolong their engagement. She just wanted him ready for her, ready to fuck her, ready to take her to the places she needed to go.

Luke had barely gotten a feel for her mouth when she was standing up again and grabbing him by the face, dragging his lips back to her as she backed them toward the table in the centre of the shed.

"How do you want to do this?" Luke asked, looking over the soil-covered table. Lorelai regarded it herself for a moment, considering her options, before she turned to face it, her hands going flat on the surface. She looked at him over her shoulder and cocked an eyebrow, letting him know the decision had been made. It didn't take long for Luke to push her dress up, yank her underwear down to her knees, and bury himself to the hilt inside of her soaking wet core.

The pace they set up was frantic. Their moans reverberated through the small room. Lorelai used the table as leverage to push herself back and meet each of Luke's thrusts as he extricated himself to the tip and then buried himself all the way in stroke after stroke after stroke.

It wasn't going to take long to get her there, Lorelai knew. She was so ready for him, and the feeling of having him inside of her, knowing they really shouldn't be doing this, was doing incredible things to her body. Experiencing Luke losing his composure and not only initiating, but fucking her in a semi-public place was outrageously sexy. She was grateful for the four walls around them that contained most of her cries of pleasure, otherwise she probably would have been heard across the county.

Luke tightened his grasp on Lorelai's hips as he sped up his thrusts. His cock was so hard, and drenched in her juices, and the tightness and warmth of her vagina was doing insane things to him. He was coming up rapidly on his release, and it was all he could do to hold on until she found hers.

"Shit, Lorelai," Luke groaned. He dropped his head to her back between her shoulder blades as he continued to bury himself inside of her.

"Oh yes, Luke," she moaned. "I'm so close. So close. Oh, don't stop," she pled. Luke bit down on his lower lip to distract himself from the overwhelming pleasure he was feeling as he tried to hold out for her.

"Oh god, Lorelai, please," he ground out. "Please, I can't."

At the sound of Luke's strangled pleas, Lorelai reached under her skirt to rub her clit. She just needed a little more. She was right there.

"Ung!" she cried out at first contact. "Fuck!"

She began to shudder almost immediately. Her whole body tensed, and she used two fingers to frantically stroke her clit as she broke apart, her knees weakening as she went. Luke quickly wrapped his arms around her, holding her up as he rode her through it, finding his release only seconds after hers began to wane.

Lorelai locked her knees, trying to stay upright as Luke pounded into her as he came, hard, quick grunts falling from his lips, his arms tightening around her, his head driving into her back. He held her so tightly, it almost became hard to breathe, but she could just have easily attributed that to the incredible feelings still working their way through her body as she came down from her climax.

Luke buried himself inside of her one final time before his entire body loosened around her, his arms easing up, his head turning so his cheek was against her back. She felt his cock slip from her soaking core, now slick with both of their releases, and she knew that they would both have trouble walking after this one.

They stayed like that, leaning over the table with Luke's face against her back, for moments longer before Luke hesitantly righted himself and helped Lorelai to do the same. Lorelai smiled as she felt him pulling her underwear back up from her knees and smoothing her skirt back down. It was always the little things with Luke that reminded her of just how gentle and considerate he could be.

She turned to face him as he tucked himself back into his underwear and refastened his pants and belt. Once finished, he met her gaze with a satisfied, amused, slightly cocky grin.

"You're officially late," he reminded her. She rolled her eyes and moved in, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing him tenderly.

"I'm the boss. I get to be late." He smiled into the kiss, and gave her another lingering one before pulling away.

"Let's get you back to work, _Boss_." He gestured for the door. Lorelai finger-combed her hair as they made their way out of the potting shed.

"Do I look okay?" she asked as they made it back out into the light of day. Luke gave her an appraising look and grimaced.

"Just tell them you got mauled by a wild animal or something," he said, taking in her rumpled dress, grass stained ass and soil-covered palms. Lorelai shot him a glare.

"I _did_ get mauled by a wild animal," she said, pointedly. Luke shrugged with no hint of shame.

"Guess you should have thought twice about eating outside."

* * *

**Sunday, March 19, 2006**

* * *

"So, I know this is bad timing, but April's coming by the diner tomorrow," Luke told Lorelai as they were getting into bed. "I know we usually do the picnic thing..."

Lorelai felt her heart sink, but plastered on an understanding smile. "No problem, Hon. We'll just do it next year."

"You sure?" Luke asked, unsurely. Lorelai nodded.

"Totally sure. Enjoy your day with April." He sighed with relief and smiled.

"Have I told you lately how great you are?" She shrugged.

"All part of the job description." She took a look at the clock. "I have to get up early. I should get to sleep." Luke nodded his understanding and leaned over to give her a quick kiss goodnight, before settling onto his side. Lorelai turned off her lamp and did the same, turning away from him so he couldn't see the look of disappointment that settled over her features.

* * *

**Tuesday, March 20, 2007**

* * *

Lorelai sat on a bench in the square watching the silliness unfold around her. The spring festival was in full swing and chaos reigned as a group of young men vied for the basket of a beautiful young woman. It was a scene that happened almost every year. These town events were rarely without drama.

She tried to enjoy it; it was all part of the charm. But she couldn't. With her divorce underway and barely a word being spoken between her and the person she used to share this event with, it was just hard to get into the spirit of the thing.

She sighed and pushed herself up from the bench, needing to get back to work. She spared a glance toward the diner and spotted Luke clearing a table by the window. He looked up immediately, as if he could feel her eyes on him.

She raised her hand in a tentative wave. He returned it with a polite smile.

She didn't stick around to see what would happen next. An inn full of guests awaited her.

* * *

**Wednesday, May 16, 2007**

* * *

Lorelai sniffled and wiped at her eyes, trying to clear away the evidence of her tears as she made her way to the front door. She knew she couldn't do much about the puffiness and the blotchy redness on her cheeks, but at the very least, whoever knocked didn't need to be subjected to her snot and tears.

Rory had left that morning. Off to follow Barack Obama around the country. Off to take the world by storm. Off, leaving a weepy mother and a crazy but lovable town in her wake.

Lorelai had done an admirable job keeping herself together over the past few days. To her credit, Rory hadn't witnessed one single tear or heard one single choked sob escape from her mother. But that all went out the window the moment her daughter made it through security at the airport and Lorelai was finally alone with her feelings.

The drive home had taken twice as long as the drive there. She had pulled over at least six times, too overcome by emotion to focus on the road. In retrospect, she should have taken Luke up on his offer to drive them to the airport, but she had done so well in the lead up that she really thought she'd be able to manage.

She was too stubborn for her own good, sometimes.

When she finally made it back to Stars Hollow, she headed straight home, changed into her baggiest sweats, a stained grey hoodie, fuzzy pink slippers, and plunked down on to sofa to watch daytime TV and cry her eyes out.

Her little girl was gone. She knew this day had to come eventually, but nothing could have prepared her for it. It hit her like a ton of bricks.

Lorelai took a deep breath as she approached the door, blinked back the fresh tears in her eyes, and steadied herself. On opening the door, she was not at all surprised to see who was on the other side.

"You doin' okay?" His question was so simple, but she could tell he knew the answer before he asked. She offered an unsteady smile.

"Better than expected. I've only gone through two boxes of tissues," she teased herself. Luke offered a sympathetic smile.

"That's better than I thought," he joked lightly. Lorelai offered a small laugh. "I called Sookie. She said you took the day off."

"Didn't want to scare the guests away with my wailing," she said. "So did you come to make sure I didn't hang myself?"

"That, and I figured you probably haven't eaten since breakfast, so I brought some food." He reached down and picked up a picnic basket that had been set on the ground just out of view. "I figured I had a few years to make up for. Seemed like a good time to start."

A small grin spread across Lorelai's tired features as she took in the basket, and the man. Such a familiar and welcome sight.

"What'd you bring me?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"Burger, fries, brownies, coffee," he repeated the well known script. "And a Greek salad. Thought we could start a new tradition."

Lorelai huffed a laugh. "Fat chance."

The pair shared a knowing smile and she stepped aside, allowing him to enter. It was his first time back in her house since before they had broken up. Something told her, it wouldn't be his last.


	30. A Soft Place to Land

**A Soft Place to Land**

**Inspired by A Year in the Life – Spring**

**_Lorelai:_ ** _I was at the inn, working on the books a little, using the calculator on my phone, and it rang. And it was Mom with the news. He was in the ICU. Heart attack. Big one. And we hung up. And my phone went back to being a calculator._

_It just seemed so unreal. You can't plan for these things. And he never got out of the ICU. He was conscious at times, but in and out. And he was angry. He was really angry. He couldn't believe it. He's Richard Gilmore. This is not how Richard Gilmore goes down._

_You know what his last words were? "Get the hell away from me." Aimed at the nurses, not us. It was actually pretty funny. And then... just like that._

**Description: Luke comforts Lorelai in the wake of Richard's death.**

* * *

Luke stared out the windshield at the long, dark, winding road ahead. It shimmered in the moonlight from the recent rain, making it all that much harder to see when the twists and turns were coming. But Luke didn't need to see to know. He had taken this stretch of road too many times to count; Friday night dinners, cocktail and holiday parties, evenings out, trips for supplies, you name it. Hartford was as good as a second home to him these days, whether he liked it or not.

This was his fourth trip home in two days, not from the Gilmore estate, but from the hospital.

The first came when he got the call. Lorelai had just heard about Richard's heart attack. She was at the inn and she called him as soon as she got the news. It had taken all of seven minutes for Luke to leave the diner in Caesar's capable hands and make the trip to the Dragonfly to collect her. Then, together, they made that first trip to the hospital.

It always seemed like the first one was the longest. Somehow those familiar roads just seemed to go on and on without an end in sight. Thoughts swirled in their heads, never spoken. Total silence filled the cab of his old green Chevy. All he could hear was Lorelai's deep and laboured breaths, as if she'd been running. He felt his heart beating fast, nerves whirling in his gut.

He'd done this twice before – driving to the hospital to see Richard. But this time felt different. He knew in his bones that it was different, and he could tell Lorelai knew it too.

When they got there, they found their way quickly to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit – the CICU. Emily was there, alone. Rory was on the next flight out of London, but she wouldn't be there for hours yet.

They were waiting. Richard had been rushed into emergency surgery, a quadruple bypass. It had only been an hour or so. They would be waiting without answers for a while yet.

It was a different scene, Luke realized, than the last time this had happened, almost nine years earlier. Emily had been all business then, running around and making arrangements, ensuring their home would be ready for Richard's arrival when he was finally released. This time, she sat in silence, staring blankly ahead as she waited for word. His usually verbose partner, Lorelai, was just as quiet. All Luke could do was hold her hand and hope she felt supported.

It was several hours later when the doctor came out to provide an update. Richard's surgery was complete, but the damage to his heart was severe. He was in a medically induced coma as they waited to see if the bypass would make a difference, or if the hard working muscle had just had enough.

Only two people could see Richard at a time. Luke sat outside the giant double doors that Lorelai and Emily had disappeared into twenty minutes earlier just watching, just waiting. There was so much waiting on that first day.

It was another thirty minutes or so when Lorelai came out alone. She had been crying. Neither said a word as she sat next to him in a hard plastic chair and dropped her head into her hands, elbows on her knees. Luke rubbed her back. It was all he could do.

**XXXX**

When Rory finally arrived, it was around 10pm on that first day. She found all three of them sitting outside those doors. The nurses had kicked everyone out so the patients in the CICU could rest quietly. Once Rory was there for extra support, Luke left for his first trip home.

It was late, and he was beyond tired as he navigated the highway back to Stars Hollow. His head throbbed liked someone had taken a hammer to it. He was hungry. Even though he had gone on food and coffee runs all day for Emily and Lorelai, he hadn't managed to eat yet.

When he pulled up in front of the house, he got out of his truck and turned to lean against it for a moment, breathing deeply. It had been a long day of recirculated air and the smell of antiseptic. He needed to breathe real air, to fill his lungs with something that didn't make him think of death.

When he'd had his fill, he crossed the lawn to Babette's house and knocked on the door. From inside he could hear Paul Anka barking. It was late, but the lights were on and he could hear the television in the living room. It only took a moment for his neighbour to open the door.

"Hey," Luke said. Babette's frown was instant.

"Doll, you look like death warmed over," she told him. He couldn't help but smile at that, a small one.

"I'm just checking on Paul Anka. Thanks for taking care of him."

"Anytime, Sugah. He's doin' just fine, don't you worry about him. You wanna come in for some tea?" she offered.

"No, thanks. I'm just picking up some things for Lorelai and then I'm going back to the hospital."

"How's her father doing, anyhow?"

"Hard to say," Luke answered honestly. "They did the bypass, but they don't know yet if it's gonna help."

"That's awful. Just awful. Tell the girls we're thinkin' of 'em. Emily too," Babette said. Luke nodded.

"Thanks again." He left her with a wave, heading across the lawn to his dark home. He took a quick shower, desperate to get at least some of the hospital off of him, before dressing in clean clothes and packing a few outfits and toiletries in a bag for Lorelai. He scarfed down a peanut butter sandwich before heading back out to his truck and making the drive back to Hartford.

**XXXX**

Day two started with a bang. Luke had just returned to the hospital when Richard coded. He stood in the hallway outside of the CICU with the three Gilmore women as a fleet of doctors and nurses rushed in to take care of business.

They came back out within twenty minutes to explain what had happened. Richard had taken another heart attack. He flat lined. They brought him back. His prognosis wasn't good.

When they finally let the girls back in, Rory went with Emily and Lorelai stayed out with Luke, plastered to those damn seats.

"You should get some sleep," Luke attempted. Lorelai shook her head, her lips curled inward and set in a straight line. "Coffee then?" She shook her head again.

Nothing made Luke feel more impotent than not knowing how to help.

**XXXX**

It was after 11:30am when Luke made his second trip home from the hospital. Once the excitement and panic from the early morning had settled down, the girls were finally started to get antsy, and hungry. He was sent in search of burgers.

He went to _Luke's_. Checked in, provided a courtesy update for his staff, and slapped a few burgers on the grill for the ladies. He chowed down on a turkey club while waiting for the patties to cook.

Some folks came into the diner when they saw his truck outside – Patty, Kirk and Reverend Skinner. He opted to speak only to the Reverend, thanking him for the offer of prayers in the next day's service, and genuinely appreciating the older man's words of compassion and perspective. Luke wasn't an overly religious person, but the Reverend was a good man whom he had known for a long time. He was there when Luke lost his own father. He knew better than most the kind of loss that Luke had endured.

When the burgers were done, Luke thanked Caesar again and grabbed the bag, heading back to the hospital for the third time in just over 24 hours.

The girls were grateful for good food. Even Emily inhaled the burger like it was her last meal. Lorelai and Rory teased her about it, and she smiled. It didn't reach her eyes, but all of them were grateful for the reprieve. As hard as it had been on them, it had been so much harder on Emily.

Lorelai and Rory went in to see Richard while Emily was picking at her fries. Luke sat next to her, the silence between them less tense than usual.

"I don't think he's coming out of there." Luke nearly jumped at the sound of Emily's voice, it was so unexpected.

"You can't think like that," he said. She shook her head and closed the styrofoam container she'd been picking from, setting it on the seat beside her.

"It's different this time." She caught Luke's eye. "I didn't want to say this in front of the girls. I just want you to be prepared. They're going to need you."

"I'm here," Luke assured her. Emily nodded her understanding, and the pair lapsed back into silence.

**XXXX**

Luke's third trip home happened with Rory as his passenger. Richard's condition hadn't changed since the early morning crisis, and she was weary. She needed to shower, change her clothes, and get some fresh air. Luke offered to take her back to Stars Hollow where some boxes of her belongings had recently arrived.

"Do you think this is it?" Rory asked, about halfway home. Luke sighed. He didn't want to lie to her.

"I don't know," he answered as honestly as he could. Rory frowned and looked out the passenger's side window.

"I'm not ready for this to be it," she said, more quietly. She sniffled, and Luke felt his heart sink. Few things were more potent than the tears of Rory Gilmore. Even at 31, her big blue eyes seemed to carry the innocence of the world. She would forever be a little girl to him, to the man who called himself her stepfather, even if he had no legal right to do so. She was his as much as she was anyone's, and when she hurt, he hurt.

He didn't know what to say, so he reached over and put his hand over hers, giving it a squeeze. She continued to stare out the window, but she turned her hand over and clasped his in hers. They stayed that way until he pulled into the driveway.

**XXXX**

Luke went in to see Richard when the girls made a group trip to the bathroom. It was his first time entering the CICU since this whole ordeal had begun the day before.

Throughout the day, Richard had been in and out of consciousness. The doctors opted to ease up on the medication that kept him under to see if he could wake up without them. It was a crap shoot after his second heart attack the night before. Chances were good that he would never open his eyes again.

But he had, for a few minutes here and there. He was groggy, confused, and angry.

Luke didn't intend to stay with Richard for long. He just felt compelled to see him, to say something, _anything_ , to the man who his girls loved so much.

Richard was asleep when he approached his bedside. There were IVs, tubes, tape, gauze and everything else Luke hated about the hospital all in one place. This man who was a giant, who made him feel so inferior so often, suddenly seemed very frail. Luke almost wished he would wake up and grill him on the Greeks or ask him about his golf game.

"I don't know what to say," Luke whispered. He tucked his hands into his pockets, resisting the strange and unwelcome urge to hold the older man's hand.

The beeping of the heart monitor made Luke uneasy. It was like the _Jeopardy!_ theme music, he was just waiting for it to time out, to signal that it was over. He stood over Richard's unmoving body and spoke the first words that came to him.

"I remember being here with my dad," he said. "It wasn't like this, exactly. It was cancer. He was gone in a few months, we knew it was coming. Still felt the same though."

A nurse walked in to check Richard's vitals. Luke waited for him to leave before continuing.

"I promised him the night before he died that I would take care of my sister and her kid. I don't know how good a job I did of that, but I tried," he admitted. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'll take care of them, Richard. I know I'm not your favourite person in the world, but you have to know that I'll take care of them."

The beeping droned on. Richard's eyes didn't open. Luke sighed and pulled a warm hand out of his pocket. He reached out and squeezed the older man's hand, once, and then retreated. With a final look at the peaks and valleys of the heart monitor, Luke headed for those big double doors and the hard plastic chairs.

**XXXX**

When Richard woke up the next time, it was a little after midnight. The nurses offered for all four of them to come inside and see him while he was semi-lucid, but Luke opted to stay back while they took some time to be with the man.

From outside he could hear the ruckus. Richard's voice, hoarse and weakened, rising above the others. The anger was back. Luke was relieved not to bear witness to it. He understood the anger all too well. It was the anger of not being able to change your circumstances, of being stuck in a situation you didn't choose and don't want to be a part of. He'd felt that anger a few times himself – maybe not to the same extent, but he had.

The chaos only lasted a few minutes. It was followed by silence.

Luke knew before the girls came back out that it was over. He knew it in his gut.

He held them all for a moment or two. Lorelai, then Rory, then Emily, and they held each other. The tears flowed freely, sobs wracked bodies, knees weakened and they fell back into the chairs as they each endured their individual and collective pain. Luke didn't cry, but he felt the pain as acutely as if he was openly weeping.

There was business to be taken care of. Rory and Lorelai stood vigil next to Emily as she wrapped up what needed to be done at the nurses' station. Arrangements would be made – many were already in the works. Emily was prepared this time, as she had been last time.

It was after 1am when they left. Rory insisted on going with Emily. Lorelai had offered, but both of the other women encouraged her to go home, to rest in her own bed. She hadn't slept in two days.

If the first trip to the hospital was the longest, the final trip home was the hardest.

Lorelai wasn't crying, but she seemed to be shivering. It was mid-September and the leaves were just starting to turn. It wasn't very cold outside, but Luke turned the heater up to full blast to try and still her quaking body. He held her hand like he had held Rory's, but this time it seemed to offer no solace.

That awful feeling of impotence was back.

When they got home, Lorelai kicked off her shoes and dropped her coat and bag on the floor of the entryway. She headed straight upstairs with no preamble. Luke picked up her jacket and put it on the coat rack, lined her shoes up neatly by the door, and put her purse on the table before toeing off his own shoes and heading for the stairs.

When Luke entered the bedroom, he could hear the shower going. The bathroom door was open a crack, offering the only light coming into the dark space. He took his hat off and put it in its customary place on his dresser, then shucked the rest of his clothes, changing into his sweats and tee shirt for bed. He wanted a shower too, felt like he needed one, but he could wait until morning. He wanted to be there for Lorelai when she came back out. He climbed into his side of the bed and laid down to wait.

The shower turned off after a few minutes, and only a moment later, Lorelai appeared in the doorway. She had a towel wrapped around her and her wet hair hung limply over her shoulders, dripping down her skin and soaking into the white terrycloth. She hung in the doorway for a moment, staring blankly into the room, before going to the bed and sitting down on her side. With her back turned to Luke, he could see the slump in her shoulders, the way her whole body seemed heavy with the weight of the past few days.

"Lorelai," he said, his voice barely a whisper. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"What now?" she asked, staring down at the floor.

"You need to get some rest," he told her.

It took another moment, but Lorelai eventually laid down and pulled the sheets over her, still wrapped in her towel. Her hair immediately started soaking into her pillow, but she didn't seem to notice.

The tears came again. Luke shuffled closer and she took the invitation, rolling across his open arm, her head going to his chest as she cried. His shirt quickly became wet from her hair and her tears, not that he cared. All he could do was give her a shoulder, be a steady force while she went through her grief. He had lost his parents too – he knew all too well what she was feeling.

With his arm around her, Luke rubbed the soft skin of her shoulder in what he hoped would be a soothing gesture. Her hand on his chest was covered by his, grounding her to his heart. Her sniffles and sobs caused an ache inside of him. He didn't say anything. He knew there were no words to fix this, no platitudes that would make it better.

Eventually Lorelai's sobs began to lessen and the tears dried up, but she stayed rooted on Luke's chest. The only indication she was still awake was the occasional sniffle or clearing of her throat.

Luke closed his eyes, but he couldn't sleep. He wanted to. God knows, he needed to. But he couldn't, as long as she was awake. He had to wait her out, in case she needed him. He thought they were getting close when her breathing began to even out, but then another sniffle let him know she was still stirring, and so he strengthened his resolve not to let sleep take him.

The first motion in over an hour was Lorelai's head turning into the fabric of Luke's shirt where she breathed in deeply his scent. He let his hand that was on her shoulder slip up into her hair, which was now mostly dry, as his fingers began to massage her scalp gently. She continued to breathe him in for a while, before dropping a kiss to his chest, then another.

Luke recognized the sensuality of her actions quickly. After loving her for close to twelve years, he was well acquainted with the way she moved, the way her touches changed, the way her kisses became longer and deeper when she wanted him. The only thing that surprised him was the timing, the mood.

She shifted a little higher, dropping kisses to his chest and shoulder until she reached the exposed skin of his neck. Luke kept his eyes closed as her parted lips descended over his pulse, her tongue sliding over the constant beating.

Her hand on his chest slipped out from beneath his and moved lower, charting a course they both knew well. He knew she wouldn't find what she was looking for down there. He stopped her hand on his lower abdomen.

"What's wrong?" her voice was a whisper in his ear. He could hear the thickness of exhaustion in her tone, the rasp from her crying. He opened his heavy lids and looked over to her, finding her watching him expectantly. Her eyes were puffy, her nose and cheeks were red.

"Nothing," he told her, despite himself. He shifted onto his side to face her. "Nothing's wrong."

He captured her lips gently, testing her commitment to their course. She met him with fury, kissing him harder than expected. He opened his mouth to her probing tongue and let her take what she wanted from him as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body flush with his.

They kissed this way for some time, hands exploring each other's bodies as they went. Luke easily pulled the bath towel apart, exposing Lorelai's heated skin to him. Naked, she moved against him sinuously, her body sliding to meet his at every juncture. Her hand grasped the material of his shirt in a fist and pushed it upward, seeking his skin against hers. Luke sat up just long enough to pull the offending article over his head before returning to her.

It had been a long few days and Luke's entire body was exhausted. It fought him as he tried to give Lorelai what she needed in these wee hours of the morning. He could sense her frustration growing as he failed to rise to the occasion, but even without an erection, Luke was determined to give her something to work with.

He urged her onto her back as his kisses migrated south, his lips and tongue coming to sweep her breasts in the way he knew she liked it, with long, languid strokes and light nips to her sensitive tips. He teased one with his hand as his mouth descended on the other, and then swapped to provide equal attention to both until she was moaning his name into the quiet of the night.

Luke moved lower then, coming to kneel between her thighs, which she parted for him eagerly. With his fingers, he stroked her up and down. She wasn't as wet as her actions would suggest, telling Luke most of her behaviour was bluster, a distraction, not a genuine physical need. Nonetheless, he was willing to go along with it. He put two fingers in his mouth, making them slick with his saliva, and brought them back down to her core, sliding them inside.

Lorelai was silent as Luke began to pleasure her, which was unusual for her. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were parted. He could see a look on concentration on her face as she sought to focus only on what he was doing to her, only on the good feelings he was creating.

He eased himself down and continued to finger her as he brought his mouth over her clit, giving it the kind of attention she usually craved. He slipped his tongue around the nub, pulled at it with his lips and licked it full on in an attempt to bring her up. He curled his fingers inside of her, finding her becoming wetter as he continued his ministrations.

A small moan left her mouth. It was quiet, barely a breath, but it was something. Luke redoubled his efforts. He shifted lower, pulling his fingers from inside of her and replacing them with his tongue as he lapped at her.

Another moan.

He licked up and down, from core to clit and back again, wetting her entire sex, creating a slick playground for him to engage as he brought his thumb to her swollen bump and his tongue back to her centre. The two worked in tandem to continue the targeted assault, speeding up in time with Lorelai's breaths, going harder when her hips began to move.

"Luke," his name left her lips in an exhale.

He switched it up, tongue returning to her aching clit, three fingers pushing back inside of her and thrusting in and out while he sucked and nipped, letting her hips do the moving as she ground down into his tongue with every stroke.

She moaned again, louder, throatier. Her hand came down and tangled in Luke's hair, while her other grasped her breast, capturing her nipple between her thumb and forefinger, squeezing it tightly.

Luke could hear her arousal with each stroke of his fingers. She was close, he could tell. He urged her toward the finish line with determination, his tongue flicking her clit roughly as she crested, a deep, guttural moan coming from inside of her, her hand fisting in his hair, pulling it at the roots.

He licked her as she went through it, and came down from it, easing back as she landed, swapping to languid strokes of his tongue that massaged her sensitive clit and sent last-second bursts of electricity through her body.

When she unhanded his hair and her arms fell limply to the bed, Luke pulled away. His fingers slipped from her spent core, and he placed a gentle kiss to her stomach as he crawled back up the bed. He dragged the blankets back over them before settling down at her side.

Lorelai curled into him when he landed, her body warm and moist from the exertion. He hugged her tightly to him and rolled onto his back, bringing her head back onto his chest the way it had been when they started. She dropped a kiss to the skin of his chest, wrapped her arm around his waist, and closed her eyes.

He waited until he was certain she was asleep to give in to his own desperate need to rest. With one final kiss to the top of her head, he closed his eyes and drifted off. The next few days would be difficult. They would both need their strength.


	31. Rollicking

**Rollicking**

**Inspired by A Year in the Life - Winter**

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Rory will think we're rollicking.  
 **LUKE:** Well, no one ever said she was dumb._

**Description: Luke and Lorelai try their best to keep the volume down on their rollicking.**

* * *

Lorelai stood next to the bed. She was clad in her pink puppy pajamas, and was categorizing her magazines by Kardashian while Luke looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"You're stalling," he told her sternly.

"I'm organizing," she shot back.

"You're not going to have your dream tonight." Lorelai visibly shuddered.

"My dirty bathroom dream? Yes, I am!"

"Just come to bed!"

"Five nights in a row. Five nights in a row! I'm looking for a bathroom and then I find one and it's like the _Eastern Promises_ steam room scene, only the stuff on the walls ain't blood," she described, getting more and more disgusted as she went.

Luke rolled his eyes. He'd heard the story every night since the dreams started about the bathroom – the gross, nasty, unusable bathroom smeared with unmentionables. And with every passing night, it became harder and harder to lure Lorelai under the cozy sheets of their bed, as she dreaded closing her eyes and being bombarded with more ungodly sights.

"Don't think about it," he attempted.

"The bathrooms are all giant. There's stalls and urinals, urinals, urinals!" Lorelai continued on.

"It's a dream!"

"Last night, it was the bathroom at the Radio City Music Hall. All the Rockettes were there."

"Okay," Luke said, hoping she would leave it there.

"They kept slipping."

"I got it." She frowned at him.

"Let's just sleep standing up like cows." Luke sighed.

"Tell you what, you come to bed, you can watch one of these ridiculous movies," he offered, referring to a long list of pornographic-sounding Lifetime movies Lorelai had clogged up their DVR with. Lorelai perked up at this.

"All the way through?"

"Yes."

"You won't make me turn it off right when the suspicious sister, co-worker, or gay best friend decides to investigate the abandoned cabin by the lake where they find all the proof they need to expose the killer and they get hit in the head with a hammer?" she continued as she slipped between the covers.

"Nope." Lorelai gasped, feigning shock.

"Rory will think we're rollicking!" she exclaimed.

"Well, no one ever said she was dumb." With that, he leaned over and kissed her soundly. He felt Lorelai smile against his lips before returning his affections and putting her hands on his shoulders. Luke moved to deepen their connection as he pushed her down so she was laying on her pillow as he hovered over her.

It had been twelve years since they shared their first kiss, and it just never got old.

Lorelai stroked a hand up from his shoulder to tangle in his hair, holding him to her as their mouths worked together, minty fresh from their toothpaste (striped, not cinnamon). She opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to enter, tangling with hers.

After a long moment, Luke pulled back just far enough so he could see her face.

"Got you into bed," he teased lightly.

"Not ready for sleep," she came back. He kissed her again, briefly.

"I think we can put it off a little bit longer," he allowed. She smiled up at him and cupped his cheek with her hand, running a thumb along his stubble. It was coming in greyer now than it used to, which she didn't mind one bit. It made him look handsome, more distinguished, she thought.

She raised her chin inviting him back down to kiss her, revelling in the feeling of his lips on hers. Luke moved a hand to caress the curves of her body that he loved so much, running a palm over her breasts, still clad in puppy pajamas, and then down to rest on her hip. He kissed away from her mouth, down her jawline and along the exposed skin of her neck. She moved her head aside to grant him more room as he found that perfect spot that always made her tingle with anticipation.

Lorelai moaned at the sensation, and Luke smiled into the skin of her throat.

"You have to be quiet, we have guests," Luke mumbled against her skin. Lorelai laughed lightly, feeling a little naughty getting down to business with her daughter downstairs.

It wasn't that she and Luke took an oath of celibacy whenever Rory or April came home, they just tried to keep things as private as possible when they weren't alone in the house, out of respect for their daughters and for each other.

But even though Rory was downstairs, and Paul (Peter? Patrick?) was likely still with her, Lorelai didn't feel like being church-mouse quiet. Luke knew just how to get her going and she wanted to enjoy it.

"Mmm," she moaned as his lips worked on her throat. "I have an idea," she said. Luke pulled away and eyed her curiously as she got up and pushed him onto his back so she could lean across him and grab the remote from his bedside table.

"Not really what I had in mind," Luke groused as she flicked the TV back on.

"Oh hush, it's just background noise," she said, pulling up the DVR listing and clicking through before landing on a title. " _Mini's First Time_. Lots of shouting, lots of sex." She set the remote down on her side table and turned back to him with a sly grin. "The kids won't be any the wiser."

"Shouting and sex to cover up shouting and sex?” Luke shot back. Lorelai giggled and slung a leg over his, sitting upright on top of him. Luke shook his head but couldn't hide his amusement. His girl was crazy, and he liked her that way. He rubbed his hands up her thighs as she ground down against the beginnings of his erection.

"Hmm, maybe we should turn it up," Lorelai mused, grinding down a little harder.

"Sure, because blasting a movie at 11 o'clock at night screams 'nothing to see here'," Luke joked. He grabbed her by the hips and pushed up against her centre. She leaned forward and put her hands on his chest to give her move leverage as she moved.

"Maybe it just says we're going deaf in our old age," she suggested. She moaned a little as his hardness grew between her legs. Luke's hands moved upwards, pushing underneath her pajama top and grasping her breasts with both hands.

"As long as that's all old age does to us, I'm fine with that," he said, tweaking one her nipples and causing her to groan louder.

"Oh, Hon." She reached one hand between her legs and grabbed him through his sweatpants. "If old age tries to take any of this away, we're getting you the little blue pill."

He pushed up into her hand and she squeezed his length.

"Why wait? We could do this for four straight hours," he joked, his breath coming a little shorter. Lorelai laughed and removed her hand, bringing it to the buttons of her pajama top.

"Okay, time for this to go. The puppies can't see this," she said. Luke shook his head and laughed. She pulled herself up off the bed to lose her pajamas and he did the same from his prone position, slipping out of his t-shirt, sweats and boxers and tossing them onto the floor.

Once they were both undressed, Lorelai put a knee on the bed next to Luke, intending to retake her position over top of him, only to have him sling an arm around her waist and pull her across him, landing squarely on her back in the middle of the bed. She shrieked at the sudden action, and dissolved into laughter as Luke shushed her.

"It's not my fault," she said through giggles. "I didn't know I was bedding down with a caveman tonight." Luke came back over her, grinning amusedly.

"Just be glad these old bones can still throw you around," he joked. She laughed harder.

"There's only one old bone I'm interested in right now, slugger," she teased.

"Uh, dirty," he came back.

"It was intended to be." She gained control over her laughter and pulled him down onto her, spreading her legs wide so he could fit comfortably between them. Luke leaned down and reclaimed her lips in a heated kiss, which she returned eagerly. He pulled away too soon for her liking and peered down at her.

"What?" she asked softly.

"You're still gorgeous," Luke told her. She smiled up at him brightly.

"Right back at'cha," she said. She moved her hands up to graze the salt-and-pepper hair on his chest. He was still so broad and strong. Fifty looked good on her man, and she wasn't shy about letting him know it.

They had been back together for nine years, but she still remembered what it was like falling into his bed twelve years prior and feeling his body on hers for the first time. It had been exciting and new, but somehow familiar as well. Luke had always been her safe place, and ever since that day, he remained the one person she felt she could always be herself with. The one person who would always look at her like she was his perfect woman, no matter how old she got, no matter what things sagged and what things shrivelled. Not that she was shrivelling at a young and spry 48, but it was coming eventually and she knew, even then, Luke would still look at her like he did on that first night.

Luke leaned back down and kissed her softly, which she returned with just as much tenderness. Sometimes she thought he knew exactly what she was thinking. Maybe it was a side effect of being in each other's space for close to a decade, or maybe it was just _them_. Whatever it was, she didn't mind moments like these when he touched her in just the right way.

He left her lips again to venture south, kissing her neck and chest as he went. He settled over her breasts for a few moments, giving them the kind of attention that always got Lorelai going. He wasn't too soft and tender, not too hard, just insistent enough that she could feel his tongue working over her and his lips sucking. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in his ministrations, running her hands through his hair as he went.

Luke moved lower after a few moments. Lorelai breathed out a contained moan as he buried his face between her legs, licking at her clit the way she liked it and sliding two long fingers inside of her to further enhance her pleasure.

This was the part where Lorelai found herself wishing she had turned up the volume on the movie just a bit more. She clamped her teeth down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out as he tended to her most intimate area. She rested the back of her hand over her mouth, a physical barrier reminding her that she was not to scream out his name as he pushed her over the edge.

Lorelai panted into her own flesh as she felt her orgasm overtake her. She pulled back on the cry that tried to escape her throat and bit down hard on her lip as the waves of pleasure worked their way through every nerve ending. Her hips moved of their own volition and Luke's fingers continued to pump in and out of her, milking her as she went. He stopped licking at her clit, knowing going further would make it impossible for her to keep her voice down. He really didn't want to scar Rory for life, he just wanted to taste his woman.

Once Lorelai began to come down from her high, Luke pushed his way back up, settling between her legs and slipping easily into her wet heat, so inviting as his erection throbbed and begged to be dealt with.

Lorelai moaned loudly at Luke finding his way home inside of her sensitive sex. He leaned forward and caught her lips in a searing kiss, swallowing the sounds she was making as he began to move. She brought her legs up around him, holding him tightly to her as he thrust in and out, finding a steady and insistent pace.

Luke pulled his mouth from hers and hovered over her as he moved, his forearms burning as he held his position, sweat beading on his forehead. Lorelai brought her hands to his upper arms, feeling his muscles working as he went.

"How you doing?" she asked after several moments. He shook his head.

"Not there yet." She nodded her head toward his pillow, urging him to move aside. He flopped down beside her, breathing heavily, and she got to her knees, moving down to take him in her mouth.

Luke was still good to go, his erection was full and throbbing, but sometimes he needed a little help to get there; help Lorelai was happy to offer.

She pumped him in her hand as she rounded his tip with her tongue, tasting herself on him. Luke watched heavy-lidded eyes as she went. It was always sexy when she went down on him, but there was something about going from inside of her to her mouth that made the whole thing so much more erotic to him.

She peered up at him with her bright blue eyes and Luke knew this was going to do the trick. He felt that familiar feeling in this pit of his stomach as she built him up, her mouth working furiously over him, taking him as deep as she could while her hand made up the difference at the base of his shaft. She brought her other hand into play to fondle his balls, pushing them up into him in the way that always made him call out her name. This time he managed to stop himself before crying out into the night. He saw Lorelai grin around his cock, and it made it twitch.

She was trouble. Good trouble. The best trouble.

"Lorelai," he panted as he neared his completion. She released him with a pop and moved back over him, not needing the words to know what he wanted. She straddled him again and took him into her heat, immediately picking up a hurried pace as she worked his cock deep within her, squeezing her walls around him to draw out his climax.

Luke grasped her hips and pushed up to meet her every downward thrust, their bodies slapping together as Luke's orgasm finally overtook him. He grunted in that way that made Lorelai's insides twist into knots of pleasure, and his eyes clamped shut. She thought he never looked sexier than when he was in the throes of passion.

She slowed to a stop once Luke's orgasm was thoroughly milked and he slipped out of her heat, fully spent.

She flopped down next to him and found her place under his arm, resting her head on his broad chest.

"You good?" he asked. She smiled.

"I'm perfect." He hugged her tightly for a second, before dropping his arm limply back to the bed. She peeked up at him. His eyes were shut, his breathing becoming steady. "Tired?" she asked.

"I'm getting too old for this shit," he mumbled sleepily, and Lorelai dissolved into laughter against his skin. She felt him laughing too.

Nine years, or twelve years, it didn't matter. If they could still laugh together even in their most intimate moments, Lorelai figured they were good for the long haul.

On screen Alec Baldwin was shouting at someone as the action picked up. She continued to lay against Luke's chest as he began to slumber while she watched the rest of the movie. She still wasn't ready to go to sleep.


	32. It's All Set

**It's All Set**

**Inspired by A Year in the Life – Fall**

**_LUKE:_ ** _We've watched each other go from person to person. I mean, there was Rachel, and Max and Christopher! I had to watch you marry that guy and it was awful, but we made it here. We made it through all of that. I mean, you can't leave. You just... you can't leave…"_

**_LORELAI:_ ** _Luke! I think we should get married._

**Description:** **Lorelai and Luke celebrate their engagement, and have an important conversation about what took them so long.**

* * *

Luke Danes was not typically a verbose man. Oh, he could rant with the best of them, but as Lorelai stood before him in their kitchen listening as he begged her not to leave him, she wasn't sure if she had ever heard him say so many words in a single sitting.

That was the first thought that went through her head. Not the best first thought, she could admit, but that was it.

The second was, _how did I let this happen?_ Her heart hurt knowing how her search for perspective had affected him.

She tried to cut in a few times as he ranted and offered her the sun and the moon and stars to stay, but he couldn't be stopped.

 ** _"_** We've watched each other go from person to person. I mean, there was Rachel, and Max and Christopher! I had to watch you marry that guy and it was awful, but we made it here. We made it through all of that. I mean, you can't leave. You just... you can't leave!"

"Luke!" she exclaimed, louder this time, hoping to reach him. His mouth snapped shut and he looked at her, his chest heaving with exhilarated breaths. Good – she had his attention. She forged on, "I think we should get married!"

He stared at her, wide-eyed, for what felt like ages, before uttering a single word.

"What?"

"We've waited way too long," she reasoned.

"But I thought…"

"I already picked a date. It's this month. It's on a Sunday, because you close early Sunday, anyhow."

"Doesn't matter really," he brushed off, attempting levity as his heart pounded.

"It's all set."

"It's set?" he questioned, not quite understanding her meaning.

"It's all set," she chuckled. Luke looked at her, a stunned expression still on his face. He seemed like he was about to say something, when suddenly he turned and left the kitchen. "Exactly the reaction I was looking for," Lorelai said out loud to herself, confused.

When Luke returned, just a few seconds later, he was holding a small velvet box. Lorelai smiled as he opened the lid and presented her with the beautiful antique ring that had adorned her finger all those years ago.

"I should probably get a better one, or a newer one," Luke hedged. She smiled, recalling their conversation when he had first given her this ring, all those years ago.

She shook her head. "Don't you dare."

Luke chuckled and plucked the ring from the box. Taking her left hand in his, he placed it at the tip of her finger.

"Just gotta tell ya, before this thing goes on, you gotta realize the only way out is in a body bag," he said as he slipped the band down her slender finger. Still a perfect fit.

Lorelai grinned, "Now we don't have to write our vows." Luke chuckled and leaned in, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss.

Lorelai could hear the thumping of her heart in her ears as she returned the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She clung to him, using him to stabilize her. She swayed, simultaneously feeling light as a feather and like her legs could barely sustain her weight. But Luke would hold her up. He always did.

Luke pulled back from the kiss and dropped his forehead against hers. They were both breathing heavily.

"I was sure you were leaving me," he muttered, his eyes closed tightly. Lorelai cupped his face in her hands and leaned in to kiss him softly.

"Never," she whispered. Luke opened his eyes and looked into hers, just a few inches of space separating them. His brow furrowed as he tried to fight past what he knew to be true only ten minutes ago; that he was about to lose her forever. His present reality was incongruent with the one he'd been living in for the past several weeks, ever since Lorelai told him she was leaving to do _Wild_. It was going to take a moment for him to recover from that.

Lorelai allowed him the time. She just stood there, holding him, eyes locked as they found their way back into the present together.

Luke's breathing slowed and his heart calmed. He closed the distance once more, grazing Lorelai's lips so gently. Their eyes fluttered closed and they kissed longer, a little deeper. Lorelai sighed into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Luke moved his lips to her cheek and down her neck, peppering tiny kisses along the way.

"Wait," Lorelai whispered, putting an abrupt stop to his journey. He pulled back and eyed her with a small amount of concern. "I still smell," she told him. Luke huffed a small, relieved laugh and shook his head.

"You don't smell," he assured her.

"Just hold that thought for a few minutes." She pecked his lips again and then disengaged from his embrace. "Five minutes. Ten... fifteen, tops," she begged as she made for the stairs. Luke watched her go, amused but not feeling nearly as patient as she wanted him to be. As far as he was concerned, even the barest of distances between them was too far right now.

Luke dropped Paul Anka's steak onto a plate and put it on the floor for their four-legged family member, before following her up the stairs.

He made it to the bedroom as the shower started up in the adjoining bath. Lorelai's clothes were scattered on the floor – a welcome sight. He plucked his hat from his head and put in on his dresser, then disrobed and put both of their clothes in the laundry basket. He stepped toward the partially-closed bathroom door and pushed it open.

When Luke approached the shower, Lorelai had her head back, eyes closed as she soaked her hair in the spray. He pulled open the glass door and stepped in behind her, encircling her waist with his arms. She smiled and sunk back against him. She didn't seem startled by his presence.

"Couldn't wait?" she teased lightly. Luke leaned in and kissed her neck.

"Thought I'd scrub your back for you." She giggled and turned in his arms. Their lips met instantly in a slow and sensuous kiss as their hands roamed wet bodies, the water comfortably hitting them both.

Luke broke the kiss and grabbed Lorelai's shampoo, putting a small dot in the middle of his palm.

"Umm..." Lorelai warned. Luke squeezed a little more into his hand. "Smellin' like a cactus over here, Doll," she said. Luke rolled his eyes and filled the better part of his palm with the opaque liquid that smelled like fresh flowers, and rubbed it between his hands before bringing them to her hair.

Lorelai closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the feeling of Luke's hands working in the shampoo, his fingers massaging her scalp in a way that nearly had her moaning with pleasure. He was so good with his hands.

Luke took his time. He caressed through her dark tresses, letting them slip between his fingers as he lathered her up. He coursed his fingertips over her scalp and gently massaged her temples with his thumbs. His ministrations continued down to her neck, using the slipperiness of the soap to help his thumbs glide effortlessly along the skin, easing the taut muscles as he went. Lower, still, her shoulders received the same attention before he returned to her hair. A final pass ensured she was well-lathered before Luke took hold of the removable showerhead and brought it down. With care, he washed away every sud until her hair was glistening dark brown and slicked over her head and down her back.

Lorelai only opened her eyes when the nozzle was being replaced. She looked up at Luke and found him watching her with adoring eyes. She moved in and he met her in the middle in another slow, sweet kiss.

Luke broke away again after not too long. This time he went for the almond milk bodywash – the kind that made her smell good enough to eat. He worked up a lather in his hands and then brought them to her body.

Slick, soapy hands coursed over her, beginning at her shoulders, then down her long arms and to each of her fingertips. Hips, then upward. Waist, ribs, sides, breasts, chest. He reached around her and coursed over the plains of her back and swell of her backside, covering every inch, before returning to the front.

More soap was squeezed into his palm, a second lather. He knelt down and attended to each long leg and foot, stroking back up to her inner thighs and stopping just shy of the apex.

Lorelai watched Luke care for her through heavy-lidded eyes. He made no move to pleasure her, but she was buzzing even so. Luke's arousal was more evident, but he restrained himself to ensure she was ready for him, completely comfortable in her own skin before moving things forward.

When Luke rose, he took the showerhead again. The soap flooded away, leaving glistening skin in its wake. Her body was washed clean, and Luke followed the spray with his lips as he knelt once more.

He leaned in and dropped a kiss to her hip bone, then lower, to her pubic bone. Lorelai instinctually widened her stance, giving Luke unspoken permission to continue his journey.

She gasped when the spray hit her centre. The water came sharp and unrelenting against her throbbing clit, and it was all she could do to stay in place. She braced herself with a hand on the wall, and Luke pushed the nozzle further between her legs so her entire sex could benefit from the torrent.

He kissed just above the top of her slit, and then eased in further with his tongue. Lorelai moaned at first contact. She was beyond ready for him. He replaced the nozzle and went in fully with his mouth, taking generous long swipes at her, and then paid special attention to her clit.

Lorelai used her free hand to delve her fingers into Luke's hair. She began to move against his mouth as he brought her up with his lips and tongue. He sucked on her clit and she cried out, the sound amplified in the confined space of the shower.

Bringing his hand into play, Luke slipped two fingers easily into her core. She was slick, and not just with water. He groaned and went harder, wanting to feel her contract around his fingers. He knew there would be plenty of time later for the rest of him to experience her – for now, he wanted to focus on her pleasure.

Lorelai wasn't far from her final destination. She groped and pulled at Luke's hair and grinded into him as the shower spray coursed over her from above. Luke's fingers pushed and pulled and curled inside of her while he tongued her clit, bouncing pleasure back and forth, bringing her whole sex into play as she began to lose control.

Luke knew he had her when her hips stilled and the tightness around his fingers began to push them out. Lorelai came hard and cried his name in a way that had his own arousal nearly tapping out from the sheer eroticism of her breaking voice.

Lorelai's body shook as she came down from her height. Luke stood back up, his body creaking as he went, but the aches and pains of age did nothing to deter him. He would take them all for more moments like this with his soon-to-be wife.

Luke turned off the shower and wrapped Lorelai up, holding her naked, wet body against his until her shivers subsided. Only then, did he open the glass door and reach for a towel.

The pair dried themselves and aided each other, all the while kissing and touching, ramping up for round two in bed.

When they made it to the comfort of their mattress and lush sheets, Luke laid Lorelai out beneath him and kissed her fully. She welcomed his tongue into her mouth and slipped hers against it, living for the feel of their connection. She could feel his erection trapped between their bodies, and ached to be filled by him again.

Luke let her push him onto his back and take her position on top. She slid down onto him without fanfare, settling fully and sitting still for a long moment as they allowed the feeling of being together again to wash over them.

With Luke's hands on her hips, she began to rock back and forth, keeping him fully sheathed in her heat. The movement dragged her clit over his pubic bone, while providing just the right amount of friction for Luke.

Luke reached up with one hand and cupped Lorelai's cheek as his other hand continued to guide her movements. Their gazes locked as they loved each other. His thumb swiped across her cheekbone and down to her lips, feeling their pillowy softness. Lorelai gently sucked his thumb into her mouth, winding her tongue around it in the time to the movements of their joining. When he retracted his thumb, he brought it down to her centre to tease her aching clit.

"Luke," she moaned. She leaned back and braced herself with her hands on his thighs, widening her legs and giving him more room to work. Luke pushed his thumb more firmly against her clit, while trying to keep his composure at the suddenness of the new angle and the sexiness of her body stretched taut on top of him, pert breasts bouncing, his erection appearing and then disappearing inside of her over and over again.

"So beautiful," he muttered. He sped up his pace on her clit, feeling like he could begin to lose control at any moment.

"Ung, yes," Lorelai groaned. She moved her hips faster, seeking more friction and heat as her pleasure passed the point of no return.

As amazing as these sensations were, Luke was craving a deeper connection. He reached out to her.

"C'mere," he instructed. Lorelai pushed herself up and fell forward onto his chest. He brought his knees up and began to buck up into her as she kissed him soundly. They swallowed each other's cries of pleasure as this final position pushed them both satisfyingly over the edge. Luke lost control first, by seconds, and Lorelai found her release as he was coming hard and hot inside of her.

Lorelai dropped her face into the crook of Luke's neck, leaving lazy kisses on the skin there, while Luke stroked his warm hands up and down her back.

Eventually, Lorelai eased herself off and fell into place beside him. Luke pulled the covers over their damp bodies and hugged her close as she rested her head on his shoulder. They laid quietly for awhile, comforted by the presence of their person, their love, their future spouse.

**XXXX**

A while later, Lorelai and Luke had cleaned up and dressed for bed. It was still early, but neither was interested in leaving their cocoon. They lay on their own pillows facing each other, while Lorelai absentmindedly traced shapes over the palm of Luke's hand.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure."

"All these years together, why didn't you ever propose?" Luke frowned. He hadn't been expecting that question.

"Honestly?" She nodded. "I didn't think you wanted me to."

Her brow furrowed. "Why not?"

Luke sighed. "Look, this goes way back and you're probably going to think I'm crazy…"

"I already think you're crazy. You chose me." Luke huffed a small laugh at that.

"Fair enough," he allowed.

"Really, Luke. I want to know, because I can't figure it out," she pushed. "When we got back together you seemed to want this, but it never happened."

"You could have asked me," he suggested.

"I didn't want to pressure you. With everything that happened last time, I just felt like it was safer to leave it up to you."

"Lorelai, if I had known…"

"I'm not mad; I just want to know," she said quickly. "Why did you think I didn't want this?"

"You told me you didn't want this," he said, plainly.

She blinked at him. "What?"

"It's true," he insisted.

"I have no recollection of this."

"Well, that's probably because you were drunk." Lorelai's hand stopped tracing on his palm and she shot him an incredulous look.

"You're telling me the reason we're not married today is because I said something stupid when I was drunk and you took it as gospel?"

"People tend to be a little more honest when there's liquor involved," he reasoned.

"Okay, I have to know, what exactly did I say while drunk that was so profound that it shaped our entire life together?" The snark in her tone was not veiled.

"You're not going to like it," he warned.

"I'll deal."

"Fine. It was the night your divorce was finalized," he said, bluntly. She tried to think back, but it was hazy.

"I barely remember that night."

"I know. Believe me, I cleaned up the mess afterward."

"Gross."

"You're telling me."

"So, what did I say?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, you came to my apartment toting a bottle of vodka. It was late. I was in bed; you woke me up. You were already half in the bag," he began to list.

Lorelai's grimaced. "Man, I am not featuring well in this story."

"I said you wouldn't like it," he reminded her.

"Keep going. It can't get much worse," she encouraged.

"You sure about that?"

"Just keep going."

**XXXX**

**Nine Years Earlier**

Luke awoke to a determined pounding on his door, hard enough that the glass shook in its frame. He got up quickly and headed for the door. Lorelai lurched into the space as he opened it, clearly having been leaning against the door for balance.

Luke reached a hand out to steady her as she stumbled into him, a mostly-empty bottle of vodka sloshing at her side where she clung to it.

"Lorelai? Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Luke asked. She offered a humourless laugh and stepped past him, heading for the sofa. She dropped down heavy into the cushions and popped the top off the bottle, taking another swig.

"Nope. I'm fine. Don't I seem fine?" she asked. Luke's brow furrowed. He closed and locked the door and made his way to where she sat. He settled down next to her and turned toward her, prepared to take the bottle away if he felt it was necessary.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"What'dya mean?"

"It's 11:30 on a Tuesday night and you're wasted. What's going on?" he asked again. Lorelai laughed again. He frowned. Nothing about this was funny.

"I'm not allowed to drink now? You gonna call the sheriff? Cause _I shot the sheriff_ ," she sang with giggles.

"Lorelai…" he attempted.

"No, no. You're right. It's night. Tues… Wednesday? No… Tuesday," she said, with all the focus of someone doing advanced calculus. "It's Tuesday, and I got the mail."

"You got the mail?" he repeated.

"The maaaaail," she drawled. "The mail that says I'm a free woman!"

"I don't follow."

"I'm divorced. D-I-V-C-R... Wait. That's not right." Luke nodded, understanding coming over him. He knew Lorelai's divorce had been delayed by a mandatory cooling off period and various complications relating to Christopher's wealth and mutual investments he'd made while they were together, but he hadn't pushed for more information.

"Your divorce is final?" he surmised. She snapped her fingers and pointed at him.

"Eggzactly," she drawled, a lazy smile on her face. "How you feelin' 'bout that, partner? You want to be with a dee-vor-say?" she asked, putting on a heavy southern drawl for affect.

"Well, _you're_ with a divorcee. How do you feel about that?" he asked, a little edge to his voice.

"Yeah, but your marriage was… whatever," she said with a wave of her bottle, sloshing the liquid around inside. "Mine was whatever too. But it was with _him_ ," she said 'him' in an exaggerated whisper.

Luke sighed. "Lorelai, maybe you should get some rest."

"M'not tired." Luke leaned back on the couch and dropped his head back, staring up at the ceiling. His capacity for Drunk Lorelai was usually pretty good, but it was late, he was tired, and his patience was wearing thin. It didn't help that, for the first time since they got back together a month earlier, she seemed intent on talking about the one thing he just did _not_ want to talk about.

"I'm stupid," Lorelai went on, unphased by Luke's attempt to disconnect. "I thought marriage fixed things; made them permanent." Luke turned his head to look at her. "I thought if I married Chris then this," she gestured between them, "would just _poof_. Disappear."

"Didn't work?"

"Please," she bit back. She swigged the bottle again and then turned to look at him. "I don't think marriage is all it’s cracked up to me… to be."

"No?"

"It's just… _expectations_ , you know? And disappointment. How can you put that kind of pressure on a relationship? Suddenly, like, if it's not legal it's not real?" Luke listened closely as she seemed to settle in for the rant. "He wanted to marry me 'cause he thought it would make it real. It was never gonna be. He shoulda known. I knew. I lied to myself, but I knew."

"One day we were just dating, screwin' around, doing whatever. Then he was making me marry him in France of all places. And I didn't want it. You know, Luke? I didn't."

"Then why did you do it?" he asked, knowing he shouldn't, but wanting the answer.

"Cause I wanted permanent." He nodded slowly. "I thought… Luke doesn't want permanent. Chris wants it. He wants it, and he tells me he wants it. So that's good enough, right?"

Luke frowned at this. "Lorelai…"

"No, for real though," she plundered on. "If I didn't ask you… if I didn't make you say yes… we woulda still been together."

"You didn't make me…" he attempted again.

"It's true!" she exclaimed. She took another long drink from the bottle and made a face as it stung the back of her throat. Undeterred, she continued. "When you think about it, marriage is what broke up us. Broke us up."

Luke shook his head. "That's not true."

"Sure it is," she continued, undeterred. "You just wanted to live, man. You just wanted a happy-go-lucky life. Maybe kids, maybe house… maybe. But you didn't want to be married. You said so, you said it was unnatural."

"What?"

"And you were right, my friend." She poked him in the chest as she spoke. "You were right. All that stuff. All of it. You were right. I should have known it wasn't happening. I should have known I didn't need it. But I wanted it, and I took it where I could get it, and now I'm divorced." She punctuated the end of her thought with another long pull from the bottle, then frowned as she realized she had drained it.

"You have more?" she asked, holding the empty bottle out to him. Luke took it and set it on the table.

"No, I think you've had enough," he said, firmly. She giggled again.

"So serious. Lighten up, Lucas. We're celebrating."

"We are?" he asked.

"I'm a free lady. Don't you like a free lady?" she asked. She didn't give him a chance to respond before jumping in again. "You know when I knew?"

"Knew what?" he asked, tiredly.

"Knew it was over."

"Not really," he grumbled, looking over at his bed longingly.

"He wanted to baby me," she said. Luke's eyes jerked back to her.

"He what?"

"Put a baby. In me." She pointed at her belly. "Right there. Baby."

"He wanted to have more kids," Luke offered. She pointed at him.

"Yup!" she popped the 'p'. "He wanted 'em and I didn't. And that was that. I knew."

"You don't want more kids?" Luke asked. He thought back to their conversation almost two years earlier. He thought they'd been on track to have a family, but now… well. If it ended her relationship with Chris, what did that mean for them?

"Nah, man. He already did it to me once," she answered. "And he like… _wanted it_ , wanted it. Like right then."

"I don't want to hear this," Luke groused.

"Like, 'don't take no for an answer' kinda wanted it," Lorelai forged on. Luke looked up at her, concerned.

"He didn't…"

"Wha?"

"Lorelai, he didn't pressure you, did he?" he asked, feeling rage building under his skin.

"What? No. Not Chris. He. Well, I mean… he wanted it. But then I said no and he sulked." Luke took a deep breath and tried to simmer. The idea of Christopher, or anyone, forcing themselves on Lorelai was too much to bear.

"Geez," was all he could manage. Lorelai shook her head.

"It was over then. I knew. He didn't," she said. Luke nodded slowly, taking this all in and turning it around in his head.

"So, to summarize," Luke said. "You didn't want the marriage and you didn't want the baby, so you got divorced, and now you don't want to get married or have kids again?"

"You should be on _Jeopardy!_ " she slurred.

"Well, I guess that's good to know," he told her. Lorelai leaned back on the couch and lolled her head over to look at him.

"I'm sad," she told him.

"I know."

She shook her head. "Not about that. Not him. I'm sad for us."

Luke sighed. "Me too," he agreed.

"We missed out, Luke."

"We're still here," he told her. He reached over and took her hand in his. It was limp in his grip, but that didn't deter him. "Lorelai, we don't need a piece of paper or a kid to be happy. We're together. That makes me happy. I hope it makes you happy, too."

"It does," she agreed.

"Good. Then maybe now's a good time to put this conversation to rest," he attempted. Lorelai sighed.

"I should go home."

"Uh, no. I think you should stay here where I can keep an eye on you," Luke said, firmly. She shook her head and pushed up, only to fall back again.

"I'm fine," she argued lazily. Luke rolled his eyes.

"Then you can keep an eye on me." He hoisted her up with an arm under hers and pulled her to her feet, but she leaned heavily against him.

"Oh, too fast," she slurred. She brought her hand to her mouth. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh? Uh oh what?" Luke asked.

"Bathroom. Bathroom now!" she urged. Luke helped her run for safety, only to have her miss the toilet by a few feet. He grimaced, but held her hair back as he tried to situate her where he needed her, with only moderate success.

Fifteen minutes later, Lorelai was passed out in his bed wearing one of his shirts, he was in a clean set of pajamas, and his bathroom was scrubbed within an inch of its life. Luke settled back down into bed and thought about the many revelations offered by Lorelai in her drunken state. His heart dropped as he considered what she had told him and what it meant for their life together.

Marriage was always the end goal for them, and he wanted the family they talked about. But now he had to choose if he wanted to be with her or have the kids they'd dreamed of.

All things considered, it was an easy decision.

**XXXX**

"Man," Lorelai said, sadly, as Luke finished telling the story. He nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Luke, I wish you had said something."

"What was I going to say? Was I just supposed to ignore everything you said and push marriage and kids on you? How well did that work out for the last guy?"

"But he wasn't you!" Lorelai exclaimed. "I didn't want that with Chris because he wasn't you. I wanted it all with you."

"Then why didn't you ever say anything?" Luke turned it around. "You had nine years to set the record straight."

"I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I just wanted it to be your idea."

"And I needed it to be yours,” he said, meaningfully.

Lorelai sighed sadly. Luke shuffled closer and put an arm around her waist, pulling her into him.

"Lorelai, I love you," he said. "I meant every word I said tonight. I want to be with you, and I will do anything to give you the life you want. If you want kids, we'll have 'em. I'll go get one tonight – you want a boy or a girl? Forget it, I'll get you one of each." Lorelai laughed lightly and shook her head.

"I hate the idea that we missed out because we suck at communicating with each other," she told him. "But I love our life. I love our kids. I love our home. I love you. I don't need more than that."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I don't know what I was thinking with the surrogacy stuff. Call it a mid-life crisis. I was thinking about what I didn't have when I should have been focusing on what I did have, what I've always had."

"The offer stands, Lorelai," he said, sincerely. "If you ever want that _fresh kid_ , let me know." She smiled.

"I promise you, if I get a hankering for middle of the night feedings and endless diapers, you will be the first to know."

"Good."

"For now, let's just focus on getting to the altar. We don't have a great track record where that's concerned," she joked lightly.

"There's nothing in the world that can keep us from getting there this time."

"Now why would you go and say something like that? You're gonna jynx us!" she exclaimed. Luke offered a small smile.

"If it's me and you against fate, Lorelai, I'm betting on us, every single time."


	33. Don't Want to Miss a Thing

**Don't Want to Miss a Thing**

**Inspired by A Year in the Life - Fall**

**_LUKE:_ ** _Tomorrow's this big stress-filled party that everybody can enjoy but us.  
 **LORELAI:** Mmm. It'll be fine once we say "I do."_

**Description: Lorelai and Luke celebrate privately on their wedding night.**

* * *

Lorelai sat back in her chair in the middle of a long stretch of tables, looking out over the scene before her. Her body was tired, right down to her bones, but she was wide awake. A little tipsy, a little punch drunk, and a whole lot of happy – that's how she felt, as she watched her wedding guests dance and party the night away.

The day had been perfect. Even though she'd only managed to get about an hour of sleep in between their secret wedding and preparing for the big event, she felt good. Great, even. There was a contentment in her soul that hadn't been there in a while – certainly not since her father passed away, maybe not ever.

Marrying Luke was the culmination of twenty years of friendship, flirting, mutual favours and finally a romance that she never expected would happen to her. Sure, Luke wasn't writing her sonnets or playing _In Your Eyes_ on a boom box outside her window, but he was there every day, subtly showing her how much he loved her. He showed it every time he came home after a 16-hour workday and whipped up some dinner, every time he fought to keep his eyes open so she could watch just one more episode of whatever show they were binging, every time he fixed her car, or their house, or kissed her and told her she was beautiful.

Luke's brand of romance was something special unto itself, and even after all these years, part of her couldn't believe she got to have him forever.

Forever. What a concept. She'd tried for forever once before, and managed to get about two good months out of it. This time there wasn't a question or a doubt. She didn't have a single 'but' or 'what if'. It was all right here. In fact, right now as she looked over her wedding reception, it was out on the dance floor, spinning her daughter in circles as they both laughed brightly.

Luke. How could she have ever thought it wasn't going to be him? That it could be Max or Christopher was a farce. The Rachels and Nicoles of the world didn't stand a chance. There was only Luke for her, and only her for Luke.

The song switched from a slow ballad to an upbeat tune, and she watched Luke bow out. Not that he couldn't cut a rug with the best of them, but he was quick to admit the slow dances were more his speed. He caught her eye as he approached her and smiled that killer smile of his, and Lorelai couldn't help but smile back.

"You make a cute couple. You sure you picked the right Lorelai Gilmore?" she teased. He scoffed.

"Don't even." He sat heavily in the seat next to her and reached for his glass of red wine.

"You all done out there, Mr. Astaire?"

"For now. Thought I might take you out for another spin."

"Dirty!" she exclaimed with a gasp. Luke just grinned.

"Later," he promised. She giggled and took a sip of her own wine. It warmed her as it went down, and tingles spread out from her stomach to her fingers and toes. She looked around again.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I think Kirk has finally found his calling. This is so beautiful."

"Gorgeous," Luke agreed. She looked over to find him watching her intently.

"You flirting with me?" she teased. He looked her up and down.

"Can you blame me?" She felt a small flush warm her cheeks, and couldn't decide if it was the flattery, the abject desire burning in his blue eyes, or the wine making itself known.

"You look pretty dapper yourself, Mister." He quirked a small grin.

"Well, the suit's a rental, so take it easy on me," he said, giving her a knowing look. Lorelai giggled again and reached out to clasp his hand.

"I make no promises, but I will do my very best to respect the suit."

"What about the man inside of it?"

"I will respect the suit," she repeated, and Luke laughed.

That had kind of been the theme of the day: laughter.

Luke laughed at her jokes about his hundred year old truck when they stood in front of their friends and family promising each other forever. She laughed when he promised to keep her in coffee and ward off small creatures of the six and eight-legged variety. When Reverend Skinner told them to kiss, they both laughed when Luke dipped her and nearly dropped her, but recovered enough to plant one on her anyway and settle her back on her feet. They both laughed their way back down the aisle as their friends and family pelted them with rice and confetti while Taylor screeched about the cleanup.

Dinner went by with more laughs. Conversation turned silly quickly, and got even more so when the speeches started. Liz shared a few too many off-colour stories about her big brother for his tastes, but Lorelai loved every second of it. Rory dug deep to find a few stories Lorelai would never live down once the truth was out in the open. April spoke about her and Luke finding their way together, and how lucky she was to have him in her life. Emily shared a brief but kind anecdote about Luke salvaging the Thanksgiving turkey when her maid managed to burn it to a crisp, and mentioned how Richard had come to hold Luke in high regard, appreciating the comfort and security he brought to his daughter's life.

Through it all, though a few tears fell, the smiles didn't leave their faces. Lorelai's cheeks hurt, but it didn't matter. She figured that's just the way it was now, because she couldn't imagine this happiness ever leaving her.

The DJ announced the last song and the first chords of _Eternal Flame_ by the Bangles filled the square. Luke squeezed her hand.

"You got one more dance left in the tank?" he asked. Lorelai smiled and let him pull her up and lead her around the table to the dance floor. She fell into his embrace easily, her right hand in his left, their bodies fit snugly together. Luke began to sway them back and forth in time to the tempo of the song and Lorelai sighed and dropped her head onto his shoulder and let him lead the way. He felt like home.

**XXXX**

The square emptied quickly after the last few notes of the song played. The hearty few who managed to make it until the midnight last call chatted loudly as they walked back to their homes or to the golf carts ready to transport them back to the Dragonfly.

Lorelai started in the direction of their house, only to be stopped by Luke's insistent tug on her hand.

"What's wrong?"

"You're going the wrong way," he told her, a small grin playing on his lips.

"I thought I lived on Maple. Are you telling me I've been wrong for the last twenty years?"

"I'm telling you you're going the wrong way," he said simply. With her hand firmly in his, he began to walk in the opposite direction.

"Are you gonna let me in on the gag sometime soon?" Luke just smiled and towed her along. She bit the inside of her cheek when their destination became clear. "Why are we going to the diner?"

"Rory and April are at our place. The Dragonfly is full of guests, including your _mother_. I thought we might want to spend our first night as husband and wife alone," he explained. Lorelai quirked a small grin, but only because she wouldn't let the full smile take hold.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Gilmore?"

"Is that a problem, Mrs. Danes?" he shot back. The rest of her smile took over.

"Lead the way."

When they approached the diner, Luke made quick work of the lock and let her in, locking the door behind them. They headed for the stairs and made it as far as the landing before Luke turned and stopped her.

"Wait here for a sec."

"You need to clean up your bachelor pad?"

"Just wait, please," he said with a hint of exasperation. Lorelai just nodded, allowing him to go ahead into the dark apartment. He returned a few moments later and reached a hand out to her.

"C'mon." She allowed him to lead her in.

The apartment above the diner wasn't much, and although it had been Luke's home for many years, it never really seemed like a place anyone would want to live long term. The brown walls were offset by brown shelves and brown furniture and brown cabinets. If the colour brown could earn royalties, it'd be making a mint off of Luke.

Over the years the apartment remained mostly unchanged. Two beds in opposite corners remained. A dining table stood front and centre where Luke ate his lunch and the occasional dinner when he closed. A small wardrobe of extra clothes lived in the closet for inevitable condiment disasters. A few of his father's knickknacks still adorned the walls, allowing the place to retain the charm of a home caught in a time machine.

Lorelai expected all of this when she entered the apartment for the first time in a few years. What greeted her was something different.

Candles flickered around the room, sending shadows dancing on the walls and casting the space in a warm, dim light. Music was playing low, just loud enough that Lorelai could make out Tracy Chapman's smooth voice crooning in the night. Bouquets of flowers adorned the tables, and a trail of rose pedals lined the floor and disappeared around the corner leading toward Luke's old bed – the one in which they made love for the first time, consummated their engagement, and reconciled after their long separation. The space smelled of vanilla, thanks to the wax burner Lorelai had given Luke years ago that she was sure had never been taken out of its box.

Luke closed the door behind them and came to stand in front of Lorelai, taking both of her hands in his. She looked up at him and breathed in deeply, letting it out slowly, allowing the full weight of the moment to wash over her.

"Is it okay?" Luke asked, a little nervously.

"It's perfect." She leaned up and captured his lips in a slow kiss, which he gently returned as his thumbs caressed the backs of her hands in slow circles. Luke pulled back after a long moment and peered down at her, his eyes shining in the candlelight. Wordlessly, he stepped in close and pushed the fuzzy ivory-coloured jacket off her shoulders, a last-minute addition to keep her from freezing to death during their wedding reception.

He kissed her once more, then circled behind her and pulled at the ribbon that kept the strapless bodice of her dress in place. Lorelai held the heavy dress as it loosened around her, until eventually allowing it to fall, pooling at her feet.

Luke huffed a small laugh as he looked over her naked form, unencumbered by underwear. Lorelai peered at him over her shoulder and offered a small shrug.

"Surprise," she teased. Luke chuckled and leaned in to kiss her lips, and then along her cheek and down to her shoulder. He pushed her thick tresses aside to pay special attention to her neck in the way he knew she liked it, and she sighed and sunk back into his embrace as his arms circled her waist.

"I've been wanting to do this since last night," Luke murmured in her ear.

"Me too," she assured him. "Downside to the whole 'surprise wedding' thing, I guess.”

"At least I get to have you know."

"And for the rest of our lives," she reminded him. He smiled and kissed her cheek again.

"Good trade-off."

"Mmhmm," she agreed, letting words go as he dropped more kisses to her skin. She nearly whined when he pulled back, dropping his hands from her body. He wasn't gone for long, though, coming to stand in front of her again. He held a hand out and she used it to step out of her dress. Her feet slipped easily out of her pumps and she dropped a few inches in front of him.

Luke let her take over as she pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders.

"Very carefully," she teased. Luke grinned, but didn't let the garment hit the floor, instead stepping away from her long enough to fold it in half and sling it over a dining chair. Lorelai shook her head. For such a generous man, Luke could be remarkably stingy when faced with the prospect of _additional fees_.

Luke loosened his tie and put it over the jacket, then returned to her, allowing her to slip the buttons of his shirt from their holes while he went to work on his belt. Once he was free of his own clothes, Luke took Lorelai by the hand and guided her around the dividing wall to his bed. Lorelai smiled at the sight of two bottles of Zima sitting on the nightstand and rose pedals pooling on the ground by the bed.

"You're such a romantic. I'm telling everyone," she teased.

"I'll deny everything," he shot back, and they shared a laugh as Lorelai pulled the comforter back on the bed and slipped into it. Luke followed her down and they lay on their sides, pulling each other into a comfortable cuddle as their naked bodies came flush together.

"God, this will never stop feeling good," she whispered. Luke leaned in and kissed her softly.

"Nothing will ever feel this good," he corrected her gently, and she smiled her agreement.

There was a certain comfort in consistency, and that's what Lorelai and Luke felt as they began to kiss and touch each other on the night of their wedding. Years of making love taught them how to care for each other. There were no awkward moments or unpleasant touches. No questions about what feels good, or what they liked best. It was known, and the knowing is what made it so good.

More than a decade of loving Lorelai ensured that Luke knew she purred when he kissed her neck, and that her back would arch the moment his lips descended on her breasts. He knew the small growl was coming from the back of her throat as he worried her nipple with his teeth, not too hard, but just enough to be felt. He knew she would sigh and moan as he licked the length of her sex, dipping his tongue into her hot, wet hole and dragging her juices upward to coat her throbbing clit.

He knew she would tangle her hands in his hair as his tongue circled around her clit, and then sucked it into his mouth. He knew her hips would start moving, and her breathing would speed up, and her body would arch and cry for more as he flattened his tongue against her. He knew that she would lose control when he pushed his fingers inside of her, using her incredible wetness to lubricate his fingers so they could bring her even more pleasure.

He knew how her breathing changed and her moans slipped into cries as she hurdled toward the edge. He knew how she would stiffen and call his name on release, and how her tightness would squeeze his fingers and make him wish desperately that it was his cock.

He knew she would reach out to him, inviting him back up, and kiss him passionately as she enjoyed the taste of herself on his lips. He knew all of this, because after more than a decade of loving Lorelai Gilmore, he knew her like the back of his own hand.

Lorelai panted in between kisses as she swept the inside of Luke's mouth with her tongue, salivating over their tastes mixing together and combining with the red wine they'd been drinking all night. Her legs fell open wide as he slipped inside of her, just enough that she knew he was there and ready for her, but not fully making love to her just yet. She knew he was waiting for her to decide what to do next, and that he would let her do anything she wanted as long as it meant prolonging their lovemaking for as long as possible.

She knew he would go willingly when she pushed him off of her, slipping out of her heat in what must have been a Herculean act of willpower. She followed him quickly and kissed him hard before kissing down his body. She knew his hands would stroke her hair as she worked downward, and that he would groan her name as soon as she took his erection in her hand, pumping it a few times to get a feel for her old friend.

She knew the small gasp that would fill his lungs as she flicked her tongue out to tease the head of his cock, and just how his hand would gently cup the back of her head as she moved to take him into her mouth. She knew how the muscles in his abdomen would jump and strain to keep him from thrusting into her mouth, even though that's all he wanted to do.

She knew his gentle hand would turn more insistent the closer he got, how his fingers would take her hair in clumps and carefully guide her over him just the way he liked. She knew he would start shifting in efforts to distract and alleviate the pleasure that sought to overwhelm him, as he stubbornly refused to give into the explosive finish that she was threatening him with.

"Lorelai," he groaned. She knew he was ready for her, ready for more. She knew the grunt was coming when she popped him free from her hot mouth, and the sigh of relief when she fell to the side and pulled him back on top of her.

Luke kissed her then, hot and heavy and full of the passion they both felt for each other. There was nothing like their kisses. The sparks they felt that first night at the Dragonfly, they still felt on their wedding night twelve years later. Kissing Lorelai never lost its edge.

"Luke," Lorelai whispered as they broke. He looked down, his eyes dark with desire. She reached up and stroked the side of his face, swiping her thumb across his cheek bone and over the lines that framed his eyes. Half a century had made him a beautiful specimen, better with age like a fine wine. He smiled down at her and leaned in to kiss her once more.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips. She kissed him again.

"I love you," she agreed.

Luke pulled back just enough to snake his hand in between their bodies and took hold of his erection. He slipped the tip of it up and down her sex like a paintbrush, teasing her aching clit and making her moan. She raised her hips, and he guided himself into her heat, sinking down fully in one long, slow stroke.

The feeling of fullness was something Lorelai had come to associate with Luke. Fullness from his body joining hers, fullness in her heart and soul as they began to move together.

Luke rested on his elbows over her as they made love, keeping their bodies close and connected so they could feel every part of each other as he moved. They watched each other as their pleasure grew, heavy-lidded eyes locked.

Luke sped up when Lorelai's whispered moans became louder, more needy. His hips bucked into hers as she raised up to meet him on each stroke. Her climax came quickly and powerfully as she was pushed over the edge by the sheer force of joy and love radiating between them.

Luke let himself go a moment later, filling her with his warmth and relaxing into her body as his quaked with aftershocks. Lorelai held him tightly, not giving him an inch to move as they came down, not willing to let go of his waning erection inside of her that reminded her that he was hers, and she was his, and this was forever.

**XXXX**

"I'm confused," Luke said.

He and Lorelai were sitting up in bed sipping Zima. After they had managed to pry themselves from each other's grasps, they had blown out the candles and turned off the music, before returning to the comfort of Luke's old bed. The time on the clock was too late for either to comprehend, and both were verging on delirious after being up for the better part of 48 hours, but neither was ready to give into the exhaustion that threatened to overtake them. Not just yet.

"It's not that confusing," Lorelai stated.

"Did we even know she was still seeing him?"

"I knew, sort of." Luke quirked a brow. "I found out a few months ago. But Rory implied that it was over so I didn't think there was anything to tell."

"I can't believe she's pregnant."

"I know."

"What's she gonna do?"

"I don't know," Lorelai sighed and took another sip from her bottle. "I mean, she's a grown woman, she'll be fine either way."

"What do you mean, 'either way'," Luke asked.

"Whether she keeps it, or not. Whether Logan's around or not. Whatever it is, she'll be okay."

"You think she might not keep it?"

"I don't know what to think. We didn't get too far into it."

"What did you tell her when she told you?"

"I asked her how she felt about it, she wasn't sure. I asked her who the father was; she told me it was Logan. I asked her if she was keeping it; she said she didn't know yet. That's about as far as we got."

"Is it wrong that I hope she keeps it?" Luke asked. Lorelai offered a small smile.

"I hope she keeps it," she confirmed. "I know that's selfish, and I should want her to do whatever she wants – and I do – but part of me wants another little baby in the family. One that I can snuggle and spoil and not dress in hand-me-downs. One that I can give back when she's gassy."

"She?"

"Did I say she?"

"Yes," Luke said with a little chuckle. "You hoping for another Gilmore girl?" Lorelai giggled.

"Maybe a little. I mean, what would I even _do_ with a boy?"

"Same thing you do with a girl," he offered. "Love him, spoil him, let his Grandpa take him to ballgames..." he trailed off. Lorelai smiled.

"Grandpa, huh?" she asked. "How you feelin' about that?" He huffed a laugh.

"Old," he grumbled. She smiled and snuggled in a little closer.

"What does that make me then? Grandma? Nan? Granny? Ugh, I don't want to be a Granny. Makes me sound a hundred."

"I think you can be whatever you want to be," he placated.

"I'll have to think on it."

"You do that."

"Of course, we're getting way ahead of ourselves. I don't even know if there's going to be a grandkid to spoil and take to ballgames." Luke kissed the side of her head.

"It'll be fine either way," he assured her. "If you want I can still call you Grandma. I'm sure that'll get you all hot and bothered." Lorelai swatted his bare stomach, but didn't conceal her laughter.

"Do and die, Gramps," she warned. Luke caught her hand in his and held it tightly.

"Big day for our little family," he pondered aloud. "Hey, did I tell you April was looking at moving to Hartford after graduation?"

"What? No, really?" Lorelai asked. "I thought she'd go trekking off to Germany or the Swiss Alps. Pull a Von Trapp and head for the hills."

"She told me today. There's a firm that's headhunting new grads and they've already told her there's a job waiting for her if she wants it."

"Luke, that's amazing," Lorelai exclaimed. "I wonder if Rory will stay close to home if she has the baby. Wouldn't it be great to have both of our girls close by?"

"Yeah, it would," Luke agreed. Lorelai sighed and sunk down into his chest.

"I think our middle is gonna be good. Don't you?" she asked. Luke smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I think it's gonna be great," Luke said through a yawn. He'd tried to hold it back, but there was no use. Lorelai turned to look at him.

"You fading on me?"

"I'm trying not to." Lorelai smiled softly.

"You know we'll still be married in the morning," she assured him. Luke smiled and met her in the middle for a kiss.

"We'll be married for the rest of our lives. But that's not why I wanted to stay up."

"Why, then?"

"I guess I just don't want to miss anything," he said with a shrug.

"How very Aerosmith of you."

"Shush."

"I could stay awake just to hear you breathing,” she said in a hushed tone.

"Alright..."

"Watch you smile while you're sleeping."

"Lorelai..."

"While you're far away and dreaming."

"Going to sleep now," he grumbled. He set his Zima on the nightstand, then took hers and did the same before shifting down into the bed.

"Don't want to close my eyes, don't want to fall asleep..."

"Why do you do this?"

"Cause I'd miss you, Babe," she said softly as she settled down against him with her head on his shoulder. Luke sighed, but couldn't stop the small smile from making its way onto his lips. "And I don't want to miss a thing," she finished with a kiss to his chest.

"Goodnight, Wife," Luke whispered, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

"G'night, Husband," she whispered as she let her heavy eyes close. Luke breathed in deeply the scent of her hair and let it out slowly as his own eyes drifted shut, finally succumbing to the pull of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the game! I hope you enjoyed these little ficlets. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed, especially soligblomma who took the time to review multiple chapters. Feedback is always appreciated!


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